


moon driven

by canis_argentum



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: (as needed), Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Crystals, Doggie Racism, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Touching, M/M, Original Werewolf Lore, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Drugs, Unrequited Love, Werewolves, i'm a zookeeper i can't help it sorry, lots of references to wolf behavior, no ABO, there will be smut but y'all gonna have to WAIT for it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-05-13 16:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19254787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canis_argentum/pseuds/canis_argentum
Summary: “I know, Prompto. I loved him, too.”“Oh,” Prompto says, voice thick. And that’s all he says, very softly, until he can find more words. “Why didn’t you ever—”“He wasn’t ours to have.”The Bonds of a Pack will surpass the pull of the moon, steady even against that which drags the tides. Ignis has known this since before he was born a wolf. Prompto has had that loyalty sewn into his soul. For Noctis: anything. Final Fantasy XV Werewolf AU. No ABO Elements, original wolf lore.





	1. chapter i

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this AO3 for 5 years and this is my first publication-- a multichapter fic shaping up to be at least 50k in total, likely more, because I apparently have no chill when it comes to writing Prompto or Ignis.
> 
> I am incredibly excited to throw it out into the world and hope y'all have a wonderful time reading Furry FFXV, but I do want to thank Tabbi and SJ specifically for supporting me endlessly through all my hang ups, hesitations, and most importantly: plot holes. You guys are the best.

“Keep up, pup!”

“Oh shove _off_ with that shit,” Noctis growls, but the unmistakable upward-twinge of his lips says otherwise. He takes a few staggered steps forward and catches up to Gladio, who is very obviously jogging in place. As Noctis attempts to push him, he side steps and wraps him in a headlock.

“The high and mighty Alpha-to-Be, pinned by his servants. What's he to do now?”

“Gladio, I swear to the _Gods—_ ”

Still wrangling Noctis, Gladio bends down, knuckles into his hair, and then drags his tongue over the length of Noctis’ cheek with a wicked grin. A noise of utter disgust breaks from Noctis’ mouth and he struggles until his head pops free and he can stumble away.

“Unbelievable.” Ignis steps down from a large rock and makes his way to the two of them. “At least save _licking_ for the shift.”

“ _Beast_ ,” Noctis mutters, glaring at Gladio as he wipes an impressive amount of saliva off his cheek. “ _Ugh—_ Prompto, where's my backup when I need it?”

“Taking pictures, dude,” Prompto chirps, leaping off the same boulder as Ignis but with a measurable amount less grace. He swings his arms and holds up his camera with a small shake.  “Gotta get em while the sun's up. Any idea how hard it is to shoot with paws?”

“Yeah, that's why most of them are of Noct's tail and the undersides of trees.”

“ _L-listen—_ ”

“I'm listening.”

Prompto opens his mouth to further protest, but Ignis raises a hand and speaks up instead. “Before we begin a lively debate of photography skills, we should decide where we'll make camp for the night. There's a haven just nearby, or another a mile east by the riverside. We've enough daylight to travel the distance, if we move quickly.”

“River camp, definitely,” Gladio says without hesitation.

“Yeah, river's good. I'm gonna need a bath to wash all his spit off my face,” Noctis agrees. Behind him, Gladio chuckles and Noctis turns to shove him again.

“Prompto?” Ignis asks.

“I'm good with river camp!”

“Then it's decided.”

They take for the spot, winding between trees and stumps at a purposeful pace. Gladio and Noctis chatter with one another, side by side, and Prompto snaps a few pictures every time they pass an interesting looking bird, but for the most part, they are on track while they attempt to beat the sun.

The rustle behind them draws Gladio's attention first, too light to be a member of their party but unnervingly close. He turns and steps smoothly in front of Noctis. By the time he's fully in guard position, Ignis has taken note and stepped perpendicular to them. Prompto moves quickly to the other side, watching in Gladio's direction for the source of their uneasiness.

“Somethin’ in the bushes,” Gladio murmurs. He's unblinking as he watches behind them, and Prompto can just make out the hard lines of concentration on his face from his position next to Noctis.

“Time for some fun then,” Noct says, summoning a weapon and charging past Gladio towards the underbush. His motion flushes out their enemy, which leaps forward with a snarl. Bristles erect and teeth bared, the voretooth lands and skids off to the side to circle around for its first attack. Behind it is the pack, twelve strong and just as eager to rush them.

“Keep your concentration, please,” Ignis calls as he sidesteps an opponent. He jabs behind him, following its movement, and slices deep into the flesh if it's hock. It collapses with a whimper before he turns to finish it off. “The last thing we need is to be pulling quills without hands to do so.”

Far less elegant, Prompto rolls out of the way of Gladio and the two beasts he's wrestling, pulling out his pistol to aim at the few still pouring into the small clearing. He pulls the trigger once, twice, firing off three shots before adjusting his pose again. One bullet goes high, but the other two dig into the shoulders of two different voretooths. Noctis slides forward to make quick work of them with his sword and then spins back to face another two.

For several moments, they are a near-chaotic scene of glistening weapons and beast-like wails. It all seems to blend together as they fight, until Prompto feels his blood run cold when the sound of Noct's half-restrained scream reaches his sensitive ears.

He whirls to see the final voretooth pinning Noctis against the ground, jaws snapping against the blade protecting the prince's throat. Prompto doesn't think as he lifts his gun, taking a deep breath only to aim and then fire. His shot sinks between the ribs of the beast, causing it to flinch long enough that Noctis can shoulder it off with a snarl and give a final stab as it hits the ground.

The clearing goes quiet.

“What was that earlier about having your back,” Prompto smirks, walking over and pulling Noctis up by the hand. He slaps his shoulder as he tucks away his gun.

Noctis is panting heavily, chest heaving, but he gives a thumbs up and looks at his Packmate, who stumbles back a bit in surprise. As Noctis smiles at him, Prompto notes sharp teeth and eyes far too dark and wild to be fully human. They look familiar, but offset on a human face.

“Uhh, Noct, you're goin’ wolfy on us.”

“Huh…?” Noctis’ voice is raspy.

“Like— uh—” Prompto holds his hands up to his mouth and grins wide, making little fangs with his fingers. “That.”

“Gladio, you've partially shifted as well,” Ignis interrupts, and Prompto turns to see Gladio with the same wild eyes and fangs. The long hair on the back of his neck seems to be sticking up, akin to hackles. “Perhaps some of us were a tad _too_ aroused from the fight?”

“Don't use that word,” Gladio groans. He lets the shifts recede into his human form once more, body calming slowly now that the danger is gone.

“No big deal,” Noct mumbles past his panting. He closes his eyes to calm himself, draws a deep breath, and Prompto watches as his fangs sink away into his normal human canines. “What can I say, Gladio and I just take _beasting it out_ a little _too_ literally.”

“You know it,” Gladio says, bumping his fist against Noctis’ as he approaches.  

Ignis sighs. “Aside from premature shifting— which I suppose we have the rising moon to thank as well— is anyone inured?”

“I think we're all good,” Prompto answers, relieved now that Noctis’ fully-human blue eyes are looking at him again.

“Then we should continue before it gets dark.”

The moon rises faster than expected, and they're not quite at the haven by the time the sun settles beneath the distant mountains. Prompto feels the tickles under his skin first and stops with a noise in the back of his throat. Noctis slows, followed by Ignis and then Gladio.

“Uh oh,” he says quietly, almost casually. Noctis moves to his side and gently taps him on the back, which sends a ripple down his spine.  

“Moon time?”

“Yeah, I think we got slowed down by those Voretooths—Voreteeth…? Uh... my bad, guys; didn’t mean to shift early...”

“It's fine,” Noct says. “You good?”

“Yup. Just… Gonna sprout a tail real soon here, no biggie.” Prompto shivers again, a chill and a fever beneath his skin all at once.

“Might as well join you then,” Gladio shrugs, already far too quick to begin stripping off his clothes.

“Our items—” Ignis starts, but Gladio waves him off with a hand. He's down to his underwear at this point and Noctis has pulled his shirt over his head.

“We'll just tuck 'em under a tree and come back for ‘em later, Iggy. Nobody's gonna come looking for shit out here.”

Ignis looks as though he's about to protest, but instead lowers his head and moves his energy into silently undoing the buttons on his shirt.

“Prompto, how's it goin,” Noctis calls, but Prompto is busy stumbling out of his boots and pants on fully-formed canine legs. Behind him, his tail wags uncontrollably, whacking into bushes as he goes. Before his arms can shift, he wrestles himself out of his ill-fitted tank top, then stumbles behind a tree with a yelp as the rest of his changes kick in.

Off to the side, Gladio has shifted into his full, enormous canine form, sitting tall with his head tilted back to the moonlight that peaks around the trees overhead. Noctis, nearly as comfortable, stretches out his back through the last part of the shift, heaving a relieved sigh as it pops and he's left fully in form, eyes sharp in the moonlight and against his dark fur. Ignis, having folded his clothes and set them neatly on the ground beside a bush, allows the smooth glide of his transition to come forth, taking it all in one nearly-fluid step. By the time he lets his body lean forward to move to the ground, he's on paws and ready to run.

“Is everyone fully shifted?” Ignis asks, only the slightest hint of a rasp to his voice. The three wolves look to their Packmate, who has tripped his way back out from behind the foliage.

“I'm good,” Prompto yips, rolling quickly to right himself from his back onto his paws, blond fur already muddy. “All good!”

“Excellent. Shall we, Noct?”

“Let's run.”

The last of the sun sinks to the horizon, and the stretch of forest before them is barred by the shadows of trees before plunging into hazy twilight. Noctis looks to the sky, mapping the rising stars and the path of the moon before grinning with wolfy teeth and taking off East once more.

His lope is quick, smoothness broken by just the slightest hint of an old limp. None of them would admit it, but it's easy to keep the pace he sets, and they leap across boulders and fallen logs behind him. The forest melts beneath their feet as they run, a blur of greens and browns tinged blue by the falling night. As they pass trees and rocks, Prompto takes note of the scenery, breathing in fresh air as it pumps through his lungs while his paws pound the muddy ground. It's all lush and alive, but the biggest draw to his eye is the rise and fall of the slope of Noctis’ back as he runs ahead. Beside him, Gladio's powerful stride and Ignis’ smooth gait keep pace with the Pack.

“Keep up,” Noctis yells, voice just barely pitching upward with his excitement.

Across the invisible line that bonds them all, Prompto can feel the smallest spark of joy, as Noctis allows himself to broadcast to his Packmates as he runs. He pushes it back, reaching out with his own happiness to let Noctis know he's been heard. As he does, a warmth settles in his chest, giving him another burst of speed until he runs even with the wolf in front of him.

“Not gonna leave us behind are you, Noct?” Prompto teases, nipping playfully at the scruff of his neck. He hardly catches fur, and Noctis veers right and shoulders into him before continuing on their path.

“Maybe if you all stopped trying to commit _treason_!”

Prompto laughs, leaping a brush pile that borders the forest edge. As he lands, his paws scrabble against the rocky shore of the nearby river, fighting to keep pace with Noctis, who is headed straight for the water.

In three enormous bounds, Noctis is at the line of rock and water, no signs of slowing as he flies forward and plunges into the river with a splash. He disappears fully beneath the deep blue sheet before popping back up just a moment later, shaking droplets from his body. Prompto slows to a halt just as his paws dip against the water's bank, eyes focused only on Noctis in front of him. His deep slate fur glistens nearly iridescent under the light of the full moon, and in his eyes, Prompto watches the reflections that dance across the surface, rippling outward in silver waves. The breath in his chest is drawn out of him with the wind that rustles his fur, and he’s unable to prevent the swelling lump of emotion in his chest from sliding over the strings of their Bond.

His only saving grace is Gladio, who barrels past him and lands with an enormous splash next to Noctis. The surge of cool river water against his paws is enough to restart Prompto's thoughts once more, and he follows into the deeper parts of the river.

“How about that bath,” Gladio says, rearing up. His size is fully understood as his form, even shrunken under the weight of the water in his fur, rises as a massive silhouette against the moonlit sky. He crashes back down with a splash that covers Noctis entirely and catches Prompto as he approaches. Both the smaller wolves yip, stumbling against the force of the water, and then lunge back together.

Noctis heads for Gladio’s scruff, tackling with half his body thrown over the larger wolf’s broad withers. Meanwhile Prompto bites harmlessly at Gladio’s haunch. When the large wolf lifts his back leg with a growl, Noctis tugs downward, pulling the weight of his body into the water with Gladio as he rolls. It takes both of them below, water flying as paws thrash up above the surface.

Ignis slips into the scene from offshore, dipping his maw underwater and gripping Noctis by the scruff to haul him rightwise onto his paws once more. Breathless, Noctis still comes up with a grin on his face and laughter in his throat.

“Thanks, Iggy,” he gasps, rubbing his soaked face up along Ignis’ neck, slicking down the still-dry fur.

“You're gonna ruin his beautifully kept coat,” Prompto laughs. Water droplets roll down the side of Iggy's muzzle and drip back into the river. Behind him, Gladio finally rights himself and emerges from the water, shaking violently to clear the water from his pelt.

“It’s a sacrifice we make so Noct doesn't drown,” Ignis says, only the _slightest_ hint of amusement in his voice.

“He couldn't ever drown. Pup's part fish,” Gladio smirks. He stalks forward a few steps to stand beside them, rubbing his own wet fur against Noct's.

“I guess you really are what you eat,” Prompto says with a laugh, lunging to nip once more at the base of Noctis’ long tail. The prince whirls on him and pounces, knocking him into the water with an ungraceful splash that puts his head underwater.

“Speaking of—” Ignis starts as Prompto disappears beneath the river, coming back up to hear just the end of something about dinner plans.

“I can catch fish,” Noctis offered, eyes gleaming. “Don't need a pole, just some time and maybe a partner. Gladio?”

“I'm in.”

“Great— you two—” Noctis nods at Ignis and Prompto. “Outta the water; you're gonna scare away the prey.”

“Fish dinner on the line and suddenly he's acting like an Alpha,” Gladio says.

“Nice pun.”

“This is making the assumption the wrestling match with Gladio didn't already scare away all living animals within a half mile radius.”

“Get outta the river already!” Noctis shoos them away with a spray of water. Prompto splashes back with a laugh before turning, rubbing against Ignis’ shoulder as he does.

“Let's go, Iggy,” he says, voice oozing false pain. “He’s banishing us from the kingdom.”

“A crushing blow, indeed,” Ignis muses, following next to Prompto, shoulders bumping once more. They clamber onto the rocky bank and shake the water off their fur before Ignis sits, controlled and poised, on a nearby boulder to watch. Prompto, however, takes to the grass patch a few feet away and flops on his back to rub his torso and face against the dirt.

“You'll turn your pelt green like that.”

“Camouflage, Iggy. I'll be the ultimate hunter. Nobody'll ever see me coming,” Prompto says, snorting as he rolls in the dirt, belly to the dark sky above him.

“Perhaps not, but they'll hear you a mile away.”

“Dude… Don't crush my hopes and dreams like that.”

Prompto rights himself, shaking out his fur once again before trotting and sitting next to Ignis. He sticks a leg out to the side and thumps his tail on the cool surface of the boulder before looking at his Packmate.

Ignis’ eyes are trained on Noctis, watching him as he circles down the far side of the bank. Each step is delicate and carefully placed, mirrored to Gladio who is deeper in the water.

“You like sushi, Iggy?”

“Properly prepared, yes.”

“Does this count as properly prepared?” Prompto asks with a chuckle, watching as Gladio runs diagonal toward the shore, meeting up with Noctis who lunges underwater and comes up, face dripping and fish flopping in his jaws. Ignis’ gaze has still not left them. Noctis lets out a victory bark, muffled by the enormous catch.

“Not in the slightest,” he says and Prompto looks at him to see a small smile twitching against his muzzle.

“Still gonna eat with the Pack though, right?”

“Of course,” Ignis answers. He adjusts his paws, then wraps his tail around them neatly. “Partaking in traditional Pack activities is a crucial part of keeping our Bonds strong. It increases our teamwork and makes us more efficient and better equipped for protecting Noct.”

“Well, _that_ ... and you just love us _way_ too much to miss out, right?”

“Obviously.”

Across stream, Noctis has thrown another decently-sized catch up on the shore with the other. He readies himself in position once more and calls out to Gladio. Within another ten minutes, they've collected enough for the four of them and head back across the water to drop the catch in front of the other half of their group.

“Told ya I'd do it,” Noct grins.

“We had no doubts,” Ignis smiles softly as he rises from his place on the boulder. He stretches out his characteristically long limbs and hops down. “Take your first choice, then.”

Noctis, still beaming with the pride of his catch, takes (surprising none of them) the largest, thickest fish in the pile, dragging it away a few feet. Gladio takes next, then Ignis, and Prompto nabs the last fish and hunkers down with it.

They eat mostly in silence, before tossing scraps together in a pile off to the side for the morning birds. After a brief moment of grooming away any remaining pieces, Ignis straightens up next to Prompto and looks up at the sky. The moon has shifted, rising to its highest point in the night, and Ignis nods at the rest of them.  

“Dinner’s finished… Now... You were the first to shift, Prompto. You get first howl,” Ignis says.

Prompto stops mid-lick of his muzzle, retracting his tongue into his mouth in an effort to seem more serious. “You mean it?” He glances over at his Packmate. “Noct?”

“Yeah, dude. That's how it always goes. Just cause me and Gladio usually jump into the shift fast doesn't mean you don't get to lead it now.”

“O-oh, okay!” Prompto feels his chest tighten suddenly with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He shifts on his paws, tilting his head to paw subconsciously at his floppy ear. “You sure?”

“Dead sure, Prom. C'mon— we'll head a few paces off. You choose where you wanna be on the river to start it off.”

Ignis nods at him and moves down the length of the river with Noctis trailing. Gladio follows after them, but not before bumping roughly into Prompto's side.

“You got this, Pup. It's not a big deal.”

“T-thanks,” Prompto answers, watching them head off until they're small against the stretching river and tree-lined horizon. He pulls his eyes away and looks to the water in front of him, searching for his spot.  

Prompto pads along the bank, paws dancing over the rough rocks under him. Water laps against the shore in gentle waves, pushed out by the lazy downstream current. Deep inside his chest, he feels the energy of the same moonlight that shines against his pale golden fur, and he draws a breath, letting the feeling wash over him as he closes his eyes and just listens. Beyond the river, there are small creatures scurrying under leaves on the treeline, and a bug calling song amongst the grass to his left. Somewhere on the opposite bank, a frog croaks before diving into the water with a splash.

With one more breath, he waits, holding it full in his chest until he a crackle like static tickles at his lungs. It grows, spreading to his ribs, making his whole body feel like it's ready to accept lightning from the sky above him. He takes one final moment of it all before he tilts his head back to the moon and breaks the silence with a sharp howl.

The first response that sounds off down the riverbank is unmistakably Noctis, long and nearly melancholy, with a note at the end that waivers slightly. Gladio sounds in with something deep and wild, a bark and a whine to the noise all at once, and shortly after, Ignis joins the choir with a note too clean and clear to be anyone else Prompto has ever known. Each of them continue, harmonizing with one another even as Prompto draws another breath, taking the pause to hear them fully. Eyes closed, he listens again, letting each call sink into his bones, written like a memory deep beneath his skin.

Once more, his chest swells, and he realizes that it's the three of them, pushing against the four-cornered bond they share, urging his next note. His breath catches only for a moment, too full with the weight of their affection, before he draws it deep within his lungs again and answers. His own call is higher, a series of elongated yips and a giveaway to his bloodlines, but for one night he lets the warmth being pushed through their Bonds smother his worries over like a blanket. He focuses only on the voices answering his own.

They sing together until Prompto's lungs burn and he tapers down to a whisper. On the horizon, his Packmates quiet down after him and he opens his eyes, looking off to the distance where they are rushing his position. He stands, running on shaky legs to meet them halfway, and is greeted by wagging tails and muzzles rubbed against his own. Each of them smells of fresh air and pine, and he rubs into fur, cherishing each individual scent before he pulls away, mouth open in a happy grin.

“Ready to run again?” he asks Noct, breathless with the charge of the energy surrounding him. Behind him, his tail hasn't stopped moving.

“Yeah,” Noctis says, giving him a final lick across the muzzle and Prompto feels as if he can run until the sun comes up again.


	2. chapter ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow publishing chapter 2 has been even more nerve-wracking than the very first chapter? That being said, I hope you enjoy! :)

Prompto absently runs his finger over the cool, red surface of the diner table in front of him, stopping halfway through the motion as the energy in his body seems to drain out entirely. He abandoned his boredom-borne pyramid of jam packets several minutes ago, eyes refusing to stay open long enough to figure out where he was placing the next one. 

Next to him, Noctis is nodding off, head dipping between half-hearted bites of his burger. In the faintest hints of their energy-sapping shift back, Noctis’ canine teeth are still pointy behind his lips, but mostly, he's just exhausted. 

On the other side of the table, Gladio tilts his head back against the booth top, eyes closed, throat exposed to the yellow-tinted light above them. Prompto isn’t sure he’s actually asleep. He thought he saw him open an eye a few minutes ago to look through the window and check the progress of the waning moon and rising sun, but it might have just been a trick of the mind. 

And then— shockingly— next to Gladio is Ignis, his regular composure slipping against the weariness that makes his features droop, glasses lopsided on the bridge of his nose. He watches Noctis through half-lidded eyes, fingers wrapped around a mug of coffee he hasn't actually taken a sip of yet. 

It is five in the morning and they are all covered in mud. Much to the dismay of the diner’s owner on the other side of the room. 

“Noct,” Ignis murmurs, just enough command left in his voice to make the boy listen. “Sit up and finish your food before you drop it.” 

The reply is little more than a mumble, but Noctis shifts himself in his seat, bumping into Prompto as he does. He takes a large, overcompensating bite of the food, then tosses the rest onto the plate with a scatter of fries and leans back into the booth again as he chews with slow exhaustion.

Gladio speaks up, not opening his eyes. “Don’t choke, Alpha.”

Noctis finishes with a grunt. “I’d welcome death.”

“That can be arranged, you know.”

“Do it, then.”

“Enough,” Ignis sighs, pulling his glasses from his face so he can rub at his eyes. Prompto blinks, slowly, and his eyelids are sticky when he tries to open them again. When he does, Iggy has replaced his glasses and is in the heavy, seemingly-impossible process of standing up. He manages, with just the slightest hint of a wobble, and moves out of Prompto’s tired, unfocused gaze as he goes to the cash register. 

“Unfortunate news,” Ignis announces as he comes back. Prompto opens his eyes with a startled breath; it’s been several minutes— he must have dozed off. “The caravan is occupied. There’s a campsite just half a mile South.”

“Gladio, just kill me,” Noct groans, slumping so far down into the booth he almost disappears. Below the table, Gladio kicks his shin hard enough that he hisses and straightens up.

“There’s your start. Quit bitching or I’ll follow through.”

“Gladio is right. Complaining won’t do anything to help us. We best make way to camp. We can sleep off the shift there.”

“Can’t we just sleep right here?” Prompto whines. “We’re doing such a good job already...” 

“Up,” Ignis murmurs, hooking a hand under Prompto’s arm and gently pulling him to his feet. “It’s only a half mile.” 

“Yeah, but then we have to set up the tent,” Noctis says. He struggles to stand up, then lays his head on Prompto’s shoulder, who feels his heart skip at least three beats. 

“As if you ever help set up the tent anyways,” Gladio says, hauling Noctis off of Prompto, giving him a chance to finally breathe again. “Let’s get moving, C’mon.”

“Fine. _Fine_.” Noctis swats off Ignis who is approaching to lead him out of the diner, then opens his eyes just wide enough to see, still closed enough to look like he’s glaring at the rest of the world around him. 

“So _grumpy._ ”

The morning air is cool as they step out the door and into the fading darkness. Behind them, the lights of the diner illuminate most of the parking lot, dawn not yet far enough above the horizon to shed light on the desert around them. 

Prompto yawns and takes a few steps straight forward. “South, then?”

“That’s East, Prompto.”

“Y-yup. Knew that. Just making sure you were paying attention.” 

He spins around to follow Ignis in the proper direction, Gladio and Noctis doing the same. The walk is mostly quiet, broken up only by Noctis’ overly dramatic yawns and the shuffling of their feet. As the outline of the campsite begins to loom in the distance, there are mutual pings of relief shared along their Bond, but little more until they actually manage to climb the rocky outcropping and reach the flattened top.

“Thank the Moon,” Prompto groans, flopping on the ground next to the firepit divit. A mistake, he realizes, as his body practically melts into the ground. It’s going to be difficult to get back up.

“Get up,” Gladio says, knocking Prompto’s foot with his own. “Time to put up the tent. And neither of you better talk your way outta it.”

Noctis fetches the equipment, which ends in a messy pile to the side of the campsite, then drags the tent out and begins to unpack the pieces. Prompto watches blankly from the ground for just a moment, until Gladio threatens to kick him again and he hops to his feet in a scramble. 

“L-lemme help you out with that,” he says to Noct, skittering over to grab the tent frame and start feeding it through the proper slots. Fighting back a yawn, he does his best to be helpful, fearing Gladio if he doesn’t. Even with the sun beginning to rise on the far side of the forest stretched out beneath them, Prompto does his best to keep his eyes open. He gestures towards Noctis as he pushes the metal wire forward, ready to pop the tent. “Can you grab it?”

“Mhmm,” Noctis replies, quietly, and goes to reach, but the motion is wrong. He stops short, body unnaturally still for a moment before jerking, sharp and twisted. A small noise of pain escapes him, his body losing some of its rigid form as it begins to shake. 

“Noct!?—” 

Ignis is there before anyone else— even Prompto, as he awkwardly fumbles over his tent supplies and tired limbs. Gladio, while concerned, holds his distance to Ignis’ advances, watching intently from several feet away. Noctis is trying to hold himself still, sinking down onto his knees as his body fights against him.

“Hold on, Noct.” Ignis moves to his side, lowering him down to the ground where he places a hand behind his head. The boy twitches again, sharp teeth gritted against one another. Dark, wild eyes open for just a moment, searching, panicked, before closing again tightly.

“Is he okay? What’s wrong with him!?” 

“It’s just a small hiccup after shifting,” Ignis answers, one of his hands working deftly to unclip the necklace around his neck. The other still supports Noctis, who is straining. “It happens, though rarely. Noct will be fine, he just needs aide— preferably sooner than later.” 

With practiced fingers, he strings the necklace around Noctis’ neck instead, letting the crystal piece at its base fall against his collarbone. Ignis presses his hand over it, murmuring gently to Noctis as he does. “Whichever way further you are in the shift, go towards it, Noct. Don’t fight.” 

Beneath Ignis’ hand, there is a soft glow, just faintly visible in the rising dawn light. It’s warm, almost orange, and shines through the tips of his fingers. Noctis seems to be calming, the tense, wild features on his face softening as the glow on the crystal ebbs away. When it finally dies out all together, Noct lays still, only his eyelashes twitching. After a moment, he opens his eyes. 

“Better?” Ignis helps him sit up, slowly, careful gaze glancing over Noctis’ body for residual changes to the shift, but all looks normal. He breathes a sigh of relief, seemingly satisfied with the remedy, but leaves his hand on Noctis’ side.

“What the Hell was that,” Noctis rasps. He reaches up to grab his head, groaning a little. “What did you do?”

“I gave you the crystal shard.”

“Your crystal shard?” 

“It’s any of ours, if need be. I merely keep watch of it.” 

Noctis reaches down to grab the crystal necklace, ready to pull it from around his neck, but Ignis moves his hand over Noct’s to stop him. “Keep it on.”

“But you nee—”

“Keep it on, Noct. For a few hours, at least.”

“All right,” Noctis says, voice a little uncertain. But he carefully pushes himself to his feet, grabbing Ignis’ hand as he goes and pulling him the rest of the way as well. For half a moment, he keeps hold, squeezing just slightly, and then lets go. “Thanks, Iggy.”

“Of course."

"That's part of the crystal?” Prompto eyes the seemingly-regular necklace that Ignis usually wears without word of its significance. “How the hell—”

“It was a gift to me— from Regis. ...For emergencies like this.” 

“Why can’t I have one,” Prompto pouts, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“They are extremely rare. Taking pieces from the crystal too often is detrimental to its health. This is one of a mere few that exists outside the main structure,” Ignis explains. 

“Fine. I _guess_ it’s fair that I don’t have one.”

Gladio speaks up again, for the first time since Noct dropped. His eyes are just a little too feral with worry, teeth sharp beneath his lips. “Prompto, help me finish setting up the tent so Noct can get some rest.”

“Yeah— of course— sure thing.” Prompto hustles back to his original place at the tent, sparing a worried glance back at Noctis as he does. Other than his residual exhaustion pinging on their Bond, there’s not much evidence that anything had happened. He guesses they have the crystal to thank for that.  “Grab the wire? We’ll haul it up…”

The tent springs to form with a few more adjustments and once a few blankets and sleeping bags are rolled out, it’s more than inviting enough to crash out inside. Noctis doesn’t need an invitation. One more gracious touch to Ignis, who is still hovering close-by, and he stumbles inside, curling up in a pile of blankets with no more than a grunt. Gladio and Prompto exchange a look before shrugging and kicking off their shoes to follow. 

“I’ll join you shortly,” Ignis says. Gladio merely nods before dipping into the tent. He sprawls out next to Noctis, arms above his head, and the smaller wolf rolls over just slightly to use his torso as a pillow. 

“Iggy?” Prompto glances towards the man, who is setting a chair by the half-started fire. Something about his movements seem off. Just a bit _too_ careful. “You all right?”

“Yes. Get some sleep.”

“Okay… Thanks for helping Noct.”

“Always, Prompto.” 

“Yeah.” He nods. “Good night— or— morning— whatever.”

Ignis allows the smallest smile on his face. “Goodnight.”

Prompto disappears into the tent, hitting the blankets faster than anticipated. Next to him, Noctis offers a sleepy gesture of welcome, barely lifting an arm for Prompto to move under. Any inhibitions usually present are sapped by exhaustion, and Prompto quickly wiggles into the perfectly-shaped spot formed by Gladio’s torso and Noctis’ arm. He curls himself into the warmth, nose pushed against Noctis’ collarbone as the man drapes his arm around his shoulders. The tired aches flow from him slowly as he closes his eyes, taking in the comforting warmth and familiar smells of his Packmates. He breathes deep and counts heartbeats until sleep takes him fully. 

  


Outside, Ignis stares down the rising sun.

He will, for several hours— at least long enough for Noctis to settle fully and the moon to disappear entirely into the pale sky. The sun rises slowly, turning the clouds a soft pink against the orange backdrop. The scent of rain carries on the breeze, drifting in from somewhere far off in the West, where it will reach them by the end of the day. Ignis sighs, letting his rigid form sink a little more comfortably into the chair; with the throbbing ache down his spine, he doubts that sleeping will be easy.

He busies himself instead with a few books, leafing through their pages for a few hours while also keeping trained ears on the surroundings. The occasional rustle of wind in the trees lifts his head, but the morning is uneventful— peaceful, even. He reads, watches, listens, and ignores the small shake in his fingers. 

“How ya holdin’ up?

Ignis draws a breath, the lines on his face hard, and turns to Gladio as he lumbers from the tent. “A tad tired from spending the night running. I’ll rest this evening.”

“Okay, so how are you _actually_ holding up? I know that answer would be different if it was anyone other than Noct with the necklace.”

“I’m fine, Gladio. I assure you.” 

Gladio grunts, making a small sound of disbelief, but doesn’t push any further, for which Ignis is grateful. The energy to protest is failing him, having seen a day and a half without sleep. 

"You wanna take a nap? I'll keep watch." 

For a moment, Ignis considers. He glances at Gladio, then at the small pile of cooking supplies, and then finally at the tent. Inside, he can hear Noctis snoring softly, his heartbeat just barely detectable over the birds and the wind on the trees. Ignis knows that he is curled up tight, head likely tucked somewhere against Prompto's ribs. The two are always residually clingy the morning after a moon shift and Ignis always finds himself biting back a tang of jealousy, while his wolf lies rigid and stiff to touch against the instinct he's spent so long smothering. 

"Thank you, but it's best if I prepare lunch for us, first."

"Lunch can wait, Ig. Go take a nap. Before you get cranky like a little pup," Gladio insists.  He puts a hand on Ignis' back, nudging him in the direction of the tent, though it's far from gentle. "Go." 

Ignis, in all his years with Gladio, has learned when to pick his battles. 

"Could you at least prepare the daggerquil meat in a marinade so that—"

"Cup Noodles for lunch, got it—"

"Gladiolus, don't you _dare_ —"

"I'm _kidding_ , Iggy; we're not having Cup Noodle for lunch."

"Thank you—"

"Obviously we're going to Kenny's—" Gladio snickers. He catches himself when Ignis rounds on him again, glaring. " _Joking_! Astrals, Iggy, get that stick out of your—"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence."

" _Goodnight,_ Iggy."

Ignis doesn't reinforce him with a reply, just makes his way to the tent, slipping his shoes off on the mat outside and placing them side by side before entering. He keeps the zipper as quiet as possible.

He was correct in his theory— mostly. Noct has curled tight on himself, though rather than lying against Prompto, he's all but on top of him. The blond seems unfazed, sprawled haphazardly, one hand over his face and the other half-tangled in Noctis' hair. They both twitch slightly as Ignis steps inside, but neither stirs until he actually sits himself down in a spare space to their left. 

Noctis groans and cracks an eye, likely just far enough to discern Ignis, and then closes it again. 

"I’gy," he mumbles, reaching back blindly with a hand to swat at the air. It's a gesture that, only through years of deciphering Noctis half-awake body language, Ignis reads as an invitation to lie next to him. 

Gently, he settles himself flat on the floor of the tent next to Noctis. 

“Here,” Noct says, still not entirely awake. He reaches up to pat at his neck until he grasps at the necklace chain. 

Ignis sighs, but takes the necklace back, stringing it around his neck. It settles perfectly in the crook of his collarbone, a familiar touch against his skin. Some of the ache starts to fade. It’s a combined consequence, between the crystal at his chest and the warm scent and touch of Noctis at his side. He closes his eyes and keeps his distance.

“Are you feeling all right now, Noct?” he asks quietly, lying on his back with his hands clasped together over his stomach. Noctis doesn’t answer him verbally, but instead turns, pressing his face into Ignis’ shoulder. It lights a spark in his chest, which he tamps out immediately, grinding his heel for good measure. He has no business being distracted; not now, nor later, or ever.


	3. chapter iii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Why do you always do that?” Noctis asks, tilting his head in a way that makes Prompto’s heart twinge. “Why d’you always freeze when I pin you on your back?”_
> 
> _Somewhere off ahead of them, Gladio snorts. Prompto hates him for it._
> 
>  
> 
> The Bonds of a Pack will surpass the pull of the moon, steady even against that which drags the tides. Ignis has known this since before he was born a wolf. Prompto has had that loyalty sewn into his soul. For Noctis: anything. Final Fantasy XV Werewolf AU. No ABO Elements, original wolf lore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to Tabbi and SJ for beta-ing! 
> 
> This chapter was originally longer and got split into 2, so the next update should come much faster than the previous :) If you've stuck with me this far, thank you!

“Cor?”

“Ignis. Are you alone?”

Ignis looks up from his cutting board, noting the other three Pack members romping in the lake just down the hill from the campsite. “Noct isn’t within earshot, if that’s what you’re asking.”

On the other end of the line, Cor sighs. His voice is heavy, even across the static of the call. It chills Ignis’ bones. “Good.”

“Is something the matter, Marshall?”

“Nothing immediate,” Cor says, but it doesn’t still the hum of anxiety that’s started up in Ignis’ chest. “But we’re worried about something more to come. ...Regis underwent the Crystal again last night.”

Ignis works his jaw. “Again? He’s already endured one too many rituals this generation…”

“Yes.” Cor’s voice is strained. 

"That may explain Noctis' hiccup," Ignis murmurs, mostly to himself but very aware of the fact that Cor is still listening. 

"Did he have issues with the shift?" 

"The morning after the moon, yes," Ignis says. "It was solved easily with the pendant, but it was… unexpected, to say the least." 

Ignis wants to ask for more information, but he bites his tongue. It will be revealed as it’s needed, he’s sure. He looks down the hill to the lake where Noctis is standing against the backdrop, Prompto taking photos, requesting poses that become increasingly more ridiculous. The stark contrast to the conversation in his ear puts a pang of melancholy in Ignis’ chest while he waits for Cor to say something more.

“Considering Regis’ health and what the Crystal demands, we think it simply isn’t receiving enough energy from the rituals, even as they're repeated. We’re looking for a cure, or at least something to help us until it’s Noctis’ place.” 

“Have you any ideas? We can help with sourcing leads outside our normal territory.”

“That’s partially why I called. We’ve heard rumors of a few new clusters sprouting— somewhere in Leide. It’s rare, probably unlikely, but if there’s any truth, transporting them back within our territory may buy us some time.” 

“We’ll investigate and report back with what we find. We're just West of the Disc; we’ll make it there in a day.” 

“Good... I’m sure you understand, but we’re doing our best to keep this quiet. We don’t want to spread worry or word of weakness into the countryside. So limit what you say when searching.”

“Understood, sir. Shall I keep news of the ritual from Noctis, then?”

“I’m sure Noctis already knows that Regis went to the Crystal again, at least?”

“Why would he? Has anyone else contacted him?”

“The Bond…? He would have felt it?”

Ignis fidgets in a way he knows is very much unlike himself; it's an action he'd expect from Prompto, but not his own body. The place to speak is not his, and yet, as he listens to the muffled static of the call, he finds himself offering more.

“Noctis and Regis aren’t Bonded,” Ignis says quietly. “They haven’t been since Regis’ initial month lying with the Crystal…”

“I see.”

This time, Ignis remains silent on his end of the call. 

“That sure does explain a hell of a lot about why you all left home,” Cor says, finally. 

“Noct wanted some time to form his own Pack. Every young wolf has the right to do that," Ignis insists.

“Still… That’s really got to fuck a Pup up, huh?” 

“I don’t believe you and I are entitled to speak of what traumas a Pup may endure for the good of his Pack,” Ignis says, and it’s far more blunt than intended. He runs a thumb absently over his necklace. 

“Of course,” Cor mutters after a moment.  

“We will look for what you asked. Goodbye, Marshall.”

“Good luck.”

Ignis hangs up the phone and tucks it into his pocket again, clenching his hands to stop the hum that’s reached the tips of his fingers. A knuckle cracks, but he ignores it and goes back to chopping his vegetables, thankful his hands have something to do. They’re over-chopped by the time he slides them into their respective salads, but the shake in his hands has stilled enough that he feels confident gathering his breath and calling out. 

“Lunch!”

Across the distance, he sees Noctis perk from where he’s strewn himself across a rock to sunbathe, head turning in the direction of camp. It’s too far away to make out his expression, but Ignis knows it is relaxed and comfortable and he already feels the pang in his chest coming back. He watches Noctis gather Gladio and Prompto and the three return to camp with smiles. 

“Thanks, Specs.” Noctis circles up around him, bumping shoulders playfully, before grabbing the bowl. His expression changes abruptly. “...Veggies?”

“They’re good for you!” Prompto says, happily taking his own food and settling down on a chair with it. 

“But we’re  _ wolves _ ,” Noctis groans, exasperated. 

“There are daggerquill breasts resting in the foil packets on the table; I can slice them for the salad if you’d like.” 

"Gods, please. Some saving grace from this green stuff."

Ignis gladly takes the knife in his hands again, slicing through the meat as Noctis and Prompto chatter behind him. He draws a breath, as though breathing in his composure, then turns to the three of them and slides chopped meat into their bowls. Noctis offers a smile to replace his scowl. 

“Better?” Ignis asks.

“Yeah,” Noctis says, taking a seat in his chair by the smoldering fire. “Thanks.”

Prompto and Gladio take their own seats and begin to eat, the camp falling silent except for utensils scraping against bowls. Ignis busies himself with cleaning his tools, wiping down his knives and cutting boards before taking his own bowl and settling in his seat near Noctis. He watches for a moment, quietly debating with himself. There’s not much he can do about the reality of the situation; Noctis needs to know and he is— of course— the one fit to deliver the news. He clears his throat.

“I received a call from Cor,” Ignis says. “We were asked to investigate a potential new Crystal growth to the East.”

“Like, actual leads or just gossip?” Prompto asks, pausing mid-bite of his salad.

“Rumors, mostly. But still worthy of our time. Whatever growth sprouts, Insomnia is in charge of ensuring its safety.” 

"Yeah," Gladio grumbles, "But it's not like we've seen any legit expansion from the Crystal in at least two generations…"

"Noct?" Ignis looks to him, gauging his reaction. He hasn't spoken yet, but his face is gloomier than normal. "What do you think?"

"It's not my call." 

"It  _ is _ your call," Ignis counters. "We defer to you."

"Whatever." Noctis folds his arms after tossing his fork down. His salad has been picked clean of chicken but most of the greens still sit untouched. Ignis doubts they will be touched at all after this conversation. "If they want us to check it out then I guess we have to go. Can't really say no."

Tension holds the circle silent for a few moments. Prompto spares nervous glances between Noctis and his food, and Gladio picks at his nearly-empty plate. With a sigh, Ignis makes it his responsibility to break the silence 

"Then we'll go. Finish eating; we'll pack away camp and take the car to make it there before nightfall." 

"Fine."

 

  
They’re about twenty minutes into an otherwise-silent walk to the car when Prompto starts getting fidgety with the tension still hanging like a heavyweight on their bond. He pingpongs back and forth between walking next to Gladio, who only spares him raised-brow glances, and Noctis, who shuffles his feet and stays distinctly, silently broody. 

Finally, he gives in, planting himself next to Noctis and starting to make playful conversation in hopes of lightening the mood.

“Man my back is killing me,” he whines, stretching his arms up over his head while he watches Noctis out of the corner of his eye. “Maybe Iggy’ll let us sleep in a hotel or something tonight, you think?”

“I dunno, maybe,” Noctis mumbles, not bothering to look up at Prompto. 

Prompto tries again. “We should play cards before bed.”

“I guess.”

Frustration bubbles up in Prompto's chest for just a second before he pushes it away and continues, just as cheerful as before, this time with a big grin on his face as he moves a little closer. 

“Winner gets to give the loser uhm… A haircut. What d’you think, Noct? I think you’d look good with an undercut.”

“—W—what?” Noctis looks up at him and Prompto smiles wider, feeling any of his previous frustration immediately replaced with the reinforcement of making progress against Noctis’ sour mood. 

“Yeah like buzzed underneath— hey, how do you think that’d look on a wolf? Like would all four legs be shaved or would it be just from the middle back?”

“Prompto, that’s a stupid questio—”

“—Well!?”

“All four legs, obviously...”

“Wrong!” Prompto chimes. “It’d be from the middle down.” 

“Dude, do you seriously think th—” Noctis doesn’t finish his sentence as Prompto jumps on him from behind, wrapping his arms around Noctis’ neck and his legs around his waist. Stumbling, Noctis cries out and reaches up to grip at Prompto’s arm to stabilize him as they start to sink to the ground. 

“Iggy,” Prompto calls. “Iggy, gimme your knife; we need to test a theory! For science!”

“ _ No _ .” Noctis hits the ground on hands and knees, Prompto still wrapped around him. He rolls, squishing Prompto underneath him, and tries to pry Prompto’s arms off him. 

“Get your bony shoulder blades off of me,” Prompto gasps, shoving on Noctis’ back. For a moment he struggles, until he can get enough of a grip to wrestle himself out from underneath his Packmate. His progress is quickly halted when Noctis turns him around again, flipping him onto his back and pinning his shoulders down.

“What was that about haircuts?” Noctis asks, running his hand up through Prompto’s hair to push some of the blond locks off his face and gaze down at him. 

Prompto stares up at him, wordless. A lump in his throat makes it impossible to say anything more even if he  had a comeback bouncing around in his now-empty brain. Instead, he just manages to look up at the blue eyes staring down at him and feel the back of his neck heat up. He can’t help but think how unfair it is for Noctis to have eyes that soft and intense at the same time; human with a touch of wild wolf behind them. 

Deep in his chest, his heart swells as the warmth tickling his neck reaches the rest of him. He tries to keep it from reaching his cheeks, rather unsuccessfully, and focuses on calming himself down in the face of someone so stupidly beautiful straddling him against the ground. Noctis has always been like that— wild eyes and tender sleepy smiles that make Prompto go a little breathless— and for the most part, Prompto had gotten pretty good at ignoring the feelings that arise in his chest from time to time. But being pinned to the ground is one of those times it’s almost impossible to push aside. 

“ _ Prompto _ —?”

The blond snaps himself out of his head, gaze focusing again on the world around him instead of the person above him. He wiggles a little bit against the hold he’s in.

“—Huh…?”

“Why do you always do that?” Noctis asks, tilting his head in a way that makes Prompto’s heart twinge. “Why d’you always freeze when I pin you on your back?”

Somewhere off ahead of them, Gladio snorts. Prompto hates him for it.

“I do  _ not! _ ” As if to prove his point, Prompto pushes Noctis off of him, standing up and folding his arms over his chest. He pouts at his Packmate, who stands next to him, grinning, and then jabs Prompto in the shoulder with a finger.

“Yeah you do. You did it when we first met as pups, too.”

“W-well that’s just ‘cause I’d never seen another wolf before,” Prompto protests.

“Okay, so what’s your excuse now?” Noctis asks as he begins to catch up with Ignis and Gladio, who are waiting less-than-patiently a couple hundred feet away.

“It’s hot. And I’m tired,” Prompto says. He follows after the other three, catching up to the group again. “We didn’t  _ all _ sleep as long as you did, y’know.”

Noctis only shrugs. “Sounds like a you problem…” 

Making a face, Prompto pushes his friend playfully again, though he’s careful not to get so involved in the bickering that they end up wrestling on the ground again. He’s not sure he can deal with it again so soon. They banter back and forth for a bit before finally emerging from the woods along the side of the road, where the Regalia gleams in the midday light in a parking spot across the way.

“Shotgun! O-Oh, I call shotgun!”

“You get shotgun every time, Prom. You don’t have to call it anymore,” Noctis says. A smile touches his lips, even as he rolls his eyes.

“I think the term he used was ‘ _ shotgun infinity’ _ ,” Gladio says, just as amused.

“I have to be  _ sure _ .”

Prompto hesitates by the car, fidgeting in place as he looks over to Ignis, who pulls keys from his pocket and unlocks the doors.

"We haven't been in the car in forever... Can I do the thing, Iggy? Can I?  _ Please? _ " Prompto asks. He pulls the puppy dog eyes— literally— as he begins his shift into a canine form, not waiting for Ignis' reply. 

"I don't suppose I have a choice in the matter considering you're halfway through shifting…"

"Damn right you don't," Gladio muses. He climbs into the back seat and stretches out as Ignis takes his place at the driver's seat. Prompto, now fully furred, jumps up into the passenger seat, which Noctis closes behind him before getting in himself.

"Paws off the dashboard." Ignis takes hold of the wheel, tracing along its shape with his fingers as though refamiliarizing himself with the action of driving in itself. 

"I'm not gonna put my paws on the dashboard, Iggy. I'm not an animal."

"I beg to differ," Ignis says, starting up the car, which welcomes him with the usual low purr. He pulls the top down, watching out of the corner of his eye how Prompto nearly vibrates with anticipation when he shifts gears and pulls forward. 

As they gather speed along the road, Prompto lifts himself in the seat and sticks his head over the door and out past the windshield. 

"This literally never gets old," he calls, wind taking his voice in the same way it whips his ears back and forth, both of them flopping. He sniffs heavily, sensitive nose taking in passing scents from the landscape that flies past as they drive. Eyes closed, he basks in the feeling for a while. Sunshine bathes his fur and he gets lost in the sensation, head tilted to the sky above him, before finally pulling his head back into the car and settling in his seat. Carefully, he starts to smooth down his wind-tossed fur with a few strokes of a paw. 

“Satisfied?” Ignis asks, quirking an eyebrow in his direction. 

"Yeah, all good. So where are we headed exactly?" 

"In other words: how much time do you have to stick your head out the window again?"

"...Well, yeah, but also like… I wanna know where we're going," Prompto mumbles.

Ignis holds a smile. "There are a few mines and cavern structures on the Eastern end of Leide. We'll be asking for information near there." 

"Tipsters ain't gonna be much help, Iggy," Gladio chimes in from the back without looking up from his book. 

"There are several established Packs in the area. We can start with them.”

“Packs like... Insomnia?” Prompto wiggles in his seat a little, starting a shift back into human form.

“More or less,” Gladio mumbles. “They’re Packs, just usually not like us.”

“While we’re sworn to Noctis and Insomnia by oath of our Crownscollar, they’re often loosely formed. That, combined with the fact that they are often composed of individuals with little insight into traditions and structure…." Ignis trails off as he makes a turn, letting his shoulders over emphasize in a shrug as he goes. 

"It can get messy," Gladio summarizes. 

"Oh." Prompto rocks almost uneasily in his seat, using the motion to slide his pants back onto now-human legs, and then tangles his way back into his tank top. He glances at Noctis, who is unsurprisingly passed out, mouth open, in the back seat next to Gladio. "Noct's really got us covered then, like… compared to them, huh?"

"He's our Pack. We're his family. We protect him, support him… He protects us and leads us. It's how it works." Gladio shares Prompto's gaze for a moment, deep amber eyes sweeping over Noctis' still form. "We're strongest that way."

"Indeed…"

Ignis remains focused on the road for the remainder of the trip, leaving Prompto and Gladio to chat on and off, though Prompto is unusually silent between conversation. He fiddles with his camera occasionally, trying to keep himself busy, but thoughts churn in his head uneasily as they move further East.

Noctis avoids talking about his position within their main Pack as often as possible, and Prompto's learned not to push much— especially now, in their attempt to be independent. It's all temporary; they've silently agreed upon that much. Noctis will have his moonlight runs, claim Pack structure with the four of them as they travel, but the pull of his origin will drive him back. It's merely a matter of time until they return to the carefully laid plans and traditions that guide Insomnia's responsibilities. 

He wonders, briefly, if Noctis taking charge will change anything. The Pack is far from a monarchy, but the respect behind the given Alpha title weighs heavy, and a young wolf so hesitant to take his position beside the Crystal can't mean familiarity forever. For better or worse, he guesses, though he's entrusted his life with Noctis and his decisions. 

The sun dips low by the time they pull into a gas station in an Eastern pocket of Leide. Prompto stumbles out of the car groaning as he stretches his legs, letting the aches and cramps work their way out. Gladio does much the same, but not before unceremoniously shaking Noctis awake. 

"Rise and shine." 

Noctis squints. Fading sunlight touches his eyes and he closes them again before curling up tighter in his seat. 

"You've napped the whole day, Noct," Ignis says as climbs from the driver's seat and takes place by the petrol pump. "We've arrived."

"Dusk already?" Noctis murmurs, peeking just one eye open to look into the setting sun. "Great... Must mean bedtime."

“Not before a bit of food,” Ignis insists. Noctis seems to perk at the mention and lifts his head from where it rests in the back seat. He stretches for a moment, then yawns with teeth a little too sharp, before finally clambering out of the car. 

“We’ll ask about beasts in the area,” Gladio says. “It’ll give us some leverage to work out a deal with a pack.”

“Solid plan,” Prompto agrees, giving Gladio a bump on the shoulder, who returns it hard enough that Prompto stumbles. Despite it, he grins wide.

The four head into the diner and are greeted by the man behind the counter, as well as an aroma of grease and cooking meat.

“Welcome, boys. What can I do for ya?”

“What kinda hunts you got?” Gladio asks as he leans forward at the counter. 

The man smiles, pulling a stack of papers out from the shelves underneath, and slides them across to Gladio. Some are wrinkled more than others, but Gladio leafs through them all the same. He stops when he gets to one with a printed picture of a behemoth and grins. The price point on the top is the most attractive, and Gladio slaps it down on the table to slide it forward.

The tipster raises an eyebrow. “Behemoth, huh? You boys reckon you can take that on yourselves?”

“Damn sure.”

“All right,” says the man. “Guess it’s your funeral.”

“Or pay day,” Gladio says, taking the poster back and folding it to put into his pocket. “Now... What you got in terms of food?”

After placing the fliers back under the counter, the man exchanges them for menus, which the four eagerly pour over in search of a meal. There isn’t much, but they settle on sandwiches, thanking the man as he takes their menus back and leaves to make their food. In the downtime, they chatter, Noctis slumping against the counter and yawning. Prompto pokes him awake again every couple minutes, much to his dismay, and they end up bickering until Ignis stops them right before the food arrives. 

When they finish, the world outside has grown dark. The near-full moon hangs large in the sky as they step out of the diner and into warm summer night. On the far end of the parking lot, the camper is lit up, spilling yellow light onto the pavement. Prompto blinks a few times. 

“Doesn’t look like  _ this _ one’s taken,” he says with a yawn. 

“Thankfully, no. We’ll stay here for the night and tomorrow we can find our local Pack.”

“Sounds good,” Noct agrees, already headed towards the door and ready to duck inside. 

The others follow, making their way into the space. It’s cramped, especially with the four of them and someone as large as Gladio, but the bed in the back looks inviting anyways. Besides that, there’s a small sleeping nook off the tiny kitchen, and a decent amount of space on the floor in front of the bed. They glance at one another. 

“Iggy, you take the bed,” Noct says firmly. He sits down on the bench, yawning. “You barely slept last night.”

Surprisingly, Ignis doesn’t protest, merely sits down on the bed to start unlacing his shoes. 

“I’m barely gonna fit on that bed by myself, let alone with someone else.” Gladio shrugs. “I’ll take the floor. More comfortable anyways.” 

“Noct?” Prompto turns to his Packmate, who is now curled up on the bench. 

“I’m not movin’,” Noctis mumbles. “So you can have the bed.”

“You don’t get to complain when your neck is sore later,” Gladio says. 

“Neck’s always sore,” Noctis says as he curls up tighter. It seems like seconds later he’s already slipped into sleep and Ignis stands, grabbing a blanket from the foot of the bed to gently drape over his shoulder. Noctis curls into it, but makes no motion otherwise to indicate he’s still awake.  

“I’m gonna shower,” Gladio says. He brushes past Prompto to the opposite side of the camper, disappearing behind the curtain that blocks off the bathroom. A minute later, Prompto hears the water turn on and decides to hunker down for a bit. He picks his way across the floor and sits on the edge of the bed, where Ignis has returned. 

Ignis looks weary, though he hides it well enough that Prompto can only make it out in the carefulness of his movement when he adjusts his glasses. 

“You can have the shower next, Iggy. Bet it’ll feel good on sore muscles.”

“Thank you, Prompto.” 

Prompto takes his phone from his back pocket and begins tapping through it as he waits. King’s Knight is off limits with Noct asleep; he’d never hear the end of it in the morning if he played without him. Whatever pouting Prompto had managed to turn around earlier today would come back full force. So instead he bothers with single-player games and a few photo sharing apps. Eventually, Gladio returns, stretching out along the ground beside the bed, and pulls out a book. Ignis leaves and Prompto continues mindlessly scrolling on his phone until it’s finally his turn to shower.

He heads into the bathroom, where the air is thick and the tiny mirror is foggy thanks to Gladio and Ignis’ showers. There likely won’t be a lot of hot water left, but he doesn’t mind much. Besides, he thinks, stripping off his clothes except for the cuff on his wrist, he tends to take fast showers anyways. Less time to ruminate.

The water is lukewarm at most, but he showers quickly. When he’s done, he dries himself off, pulls on pajamas, combs out his hair, and brushes his teeth in the small sink. The last thing he bothers with is taking his contacts out and putting his glasses on. It takes a second, but his eyes adjust to the slightly-different sight, so he looks himself over in the mirror, checks the band on his wrist for good measure, and then heads back out into the main room of the camper. 

Prompto drops his clothes on the floor and then settles on the small bed. It creaks underneath him, but he tries to ignore it, especially because it doesn't seem to do a thing to wake Noctis or Gladio, who has put down his book and is snoring softly on the floor by the bed. Next to him, Ignis swipes casually through his phone, glancing at news article headlines. There’s one about beast attacks outside of Lestallum, and one about a road closure south of the disc. 

“O-Oh, click that one,” Prompto says, pointing at Ignis’ phone as he scrolls. 

“ _ Having a Dog Is Really Good For You, Research Shows _ ….?” Ignis turns to look at him, no traces of amusement visible on his features, and Prompto grins wider. 

“C’mon, you know you want to read it.”

Humoring him, Ignis clicks on the link. 

“See, right there.” Prompto points again, leaning over Ignis to tap on the screen, which earns him a gentle but firm shove back to his own spot on the bed. “...Frequently helps to lower blood pressure.”

“I feel it’s counterproductive when that dog regularly has a gun...”

“Oh,  _ c’mon _ , Iggy… You don’t mean that,” Prompto pouts. He rests his head on the pillow near Ignis’ shoulder, looking up at him with large, blue eyes. “...Do you?”

Ignis looks down, holding eye contact for just a moment, before he breaks it by reaching forward to take Prompto’s glasses off his face. He folds them neatly and then puts them atop the shelf above the bed. Prompto blinks.

“It’s time for bed, Prompto.” 

Prompto blinks again.

Slowly, he works his thoughts back together, and then squints up at Ignis, whose face is just a little too blurry now that his glasses are gone. “Partially blinding me doesn’t change science, Iggy.”

Ignis removes his own glasses, setting them near Prompto’s on the shelf, then reaches to switch off the bedside lamp. The light in the camper flickers out, leaving them in darkness except for the moonlight that spills in through the open window. 

“Goodnight, Prompto,” Ignis says as he lays his head down on the pillow. 

In the faint light, Prompto watches Ignis turn back to him, light catching on his face and flashing eyeshine as he goes. It makes Prompto’s heart stutter for a moment, reminding him of the wolf that lies just beneath all their skins, and he suddenly feels almost swaddled in such a tight space, surrounded by the waning moonlight and his Pack. He relaxes and sinks down into the bed as well, nuzzling into Ignis’ shoulder.

“Goodnight, Iggy.”


	4. chapter iv

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Packs don’t last, kid. They’re just units. They fall apart and change, just like anything else.”
> 
> “A Pack is a family,” Gladio says. He’s not arguing. “You’d die for ‘em. That’s the difference."
> 
>  
> 
> The Bonds of a Pack will surpass the pull of the moon, steady even against that which drags the tides. Ignis has known this since before he was born a wolf. Prompto has had that loyalty sewn into his soul. For Noctis: anything. Final Fantasy XV Werewolf AU. No ABO Elements, original wolf lore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to experience a little bit of that Doggie Racism tag in this chapter, just as a heads up! Be prepared to give Prompto some hugs (or more hugs than usual, anyways).
> 
> Thanks as always to SJ as a beta. <3

Sunrise comes, bringing with it Ignis’ usual alarm. He’s quick to wake, sitting up and swiping the noise away. As he does, he detangles himself from Prompto, who has snuggled in tightly during his sleep. Beside him, Prompto rolls over with a groan, rubbing at his eyes while he attempts to wake fully. The bed, though small and crowded, did an excellent job chasing away some of his residual pain, and he’s surprised how relieved he feels that his body is once again back to normal. 

Ignis steps quietly from the bed, changing into his clothes and peering out the window. The sky is clear, the sun already warming the pavement outside the caravan as it rises. He closes the curtain and steps carefully over Gladio, who has only just begun to stir. On the small bench, Noctis is a tangle of limbs and blanket, his neck at an angle Ignis is sure they’ll be hearing about later that day. He reaches forward to tap Noctis on the shoulder, trying to wake him. Towards the bed, he can hear Prompto getting up, Gladio shifting on the floor. 

Noctis will be their only real challenge. 

“Morning, Noct,” Ignis says, tapping him again. Noctis groans, adjusting his neck and rolling over so his back is facing them.

Prompto, now dressed, all but hops into the kitchen, wiggling his way in between Noctis and Ignis. He grins as he leans forward, sticking a cold nose against Noctis’ neck. Noctis reaches up, swatting at him almost violently, but Prompto avoids it with a smile. 

“C’mon, buddy— time to wake up— let’s  _ go _ — it’s hunting day!” 

“Prom,” Noctis groans, all but ducking under the blanket entirely. “C’mon… Shut up and let me sleep…”

“But we get to chase stuff,” Prompto grins. He tugs on Noct’s arm, once again risking getting slapped. “ _ Big _ stuff.  _ Plus _ , if you don’t wake up soon, Gladio’s gonna come lick you again.”

“Better fuckin’ not.” Noctis opens his eyes to glare from his blanket cocoon. As Gladio advances, he curls up tighter to cover every part of himself but his eyes and forehead. “Don’t.”

“Gotta get up then,” Gladio threatens. 

“ _ Don’t. _ ”

Gladio reaches forward, threatening to wrap Noctis in a headlock, but Noctis slides from his place on the bench, chucking the blanket at Gladio and crossing his arms as he stands, still glaring. 

“I’m  _ up! Astrals _ . I’m  _ up,  _ okay!? Don’t lick me or I swear—”

Despite the warning, Gladio grabs him anyways, licking his ear and ruffling his hair, which causes Noctis to growl deep in his throat. He shoves his weight into Gladio at full force and knocks them both back onto the bed, where they wrestle with dog-like yips and wails until Gladio gets bored and rolls them over, sitting on Noctis to pin him.

“Done being a brat?” Gladio asks, looking down at Noctis, who is wheezing beneath the weight on his chest. 

“I-Ignis— Help—”

“Prompto,” Ignis says. “Do you hear something?” 

“Nah, probably just the bed creaking under Gladio’s big ass,” Prompto snarks. 

“Watch it, Prom— or you’re next,” Gladio growls, teeth sharp, but the grin on his face is unmistakable.  

Noctis shoves at Gladio until he finally stands up. Wheezing in a breath, he lays there for another moment before rolling off the bed and heading towards the shower. Gladio dresses while Ignis and Prompto stroll to the diner for coffee. By the time they return, Noctis is out of the shower and fully clothed. Prompto hands him a cup of coffee, which he wordlessly takes a few sips of before they head out the door and pile into the Regalia once more. 

The car only gets them so far before dirt roads give away and they’re left to walk on foot in the desert. It’s hot, with air that burns the insides of Prompto’s nostrils as the day heats up. Dust billows around his boots as he walks and he occasionally kicks at a rock, watching it leave a trail along the cracked, dry ground. Every second they walk, he feels as though his skin is burning and he can already see it getting red. Below the burn, he's sure  _ at least _ three new freckles have formed and he squints against the harsh sun that seems to be cooking him alive. 

Finally, they reach a small outpost. It’s nothing more than a small collection of tiny, shambled-together houses and shacks, but it’s clearly a community of some sort. There’s a small— albeit dry— garden, smoke rising from one of the chimneys, and in the distance, Prompto catches a radio playing quietly. Most importantly, though, is the smell of other wolves that hangs heavy over the property. It’s almost oppressively strong, marking a whole Pack that makes their lives in this tiny collection of shelters. His nose twitches and he looks at Noctis almost-nervously before turning back to watch Ignis and Gladio slide around the fence that borders the property. 

“Can I help you boys with somethin’?”

The man that steps out from the small shack to their right looks less friendly than Prompto would have hoped. He’s tall, almost spindly, and thin with older age. Gray peppers his otherwise-dark hair and short beard, and the heaviness of his brow doesn’t do anything to help him look more inviting. Prompto notes a gun hooked to his belt.

“We don’t mean to intrude,” Ignis says, flexing his diplomacy before anyone else has the chance to speak and escalate a potentially dangerous situation. “We’re actually looking to trade.” 

“Trade, huh? Where are y’all from?” the man asks, eyeing the four of them. 

“Further east,” Ignis answers. “We represent Insomnia. I’m Ignis. This is Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio.” 

The man quirks an eyebrow. “Name’s Mal. Now that the formalities are outta the way, what’s for trade?”

"More of a proposition,” Ignis says. “We’ve accepted a hunt for a behemoth. The four of us would likely be just fine for it, but we wouldn’t be amiss to a bit of help. We’ll split the bounty with you, of course.”

“Fifty-fifty.”

“Seventy-thirty actually, your favor.”

Mal narrows his eyes. “And the catch?”

“We’re looking for a bit of information on the area. ... _ Human _ tipsters aren’t exactly helpful for the matter.”

There's a moment of recognition in Mal's eyes. He tilts his head back as his arms slide over his chest. "Oh it's _ that _ kinda info, huh? That's gonna cost y'all extra." 

"How about we help you with a hunt you can't manage on your own and give you more than half the profits and you call it a day?" Gladio growls, crossing his arms over his chest and taking a step closer to Mal to square up. 

Mal smirks but backs down. "No need for a fight, fellas. I'll help with the hunt. And if I know a little bit about your problem, I'll give you the info. We got a deal?"

Ignis shoots a look at Gladio, daring him to speak again, and nods. "We have a deal."

"My Pack's a little busy today. Most of 'em are off on hunts of their own, but I can spare our Omega as an extra body."

Tension spikes violently against the Bond the four of them share. Ignis stifles a comment with a small cough, clearing his throat before speaking up again. "That would be helpful, thank you."

"I'll call him up," Mal says. "Tell him to meet us up at the location." 

As he walks away to make his call, Gladio opens his mouth to speak, but Ignis quiets him with a look. “Not a word.”

Gladio's voice is low. “But Omegas ain't a thi—”

“This is our best lead so far. We will follow it. End of discussion.”

The group quiets down again as Mal comes back over, hanging up his phone. They glance amongst one another, then Mal nods at them. 

“So are we gonna do this hunt like men or beasts?”

“Your choice,” Noctis says, speaking up now that they’re on agreed upon terms. Ignis gives him a small nod. 

“Wolves, then. I wanna see how Insomnia fights with just the gifts that the Moon gave ‘em.”

Noctis grins. “You bet. Guys?”

They peel their clothes off and put on new skins, sprouting fur and dropping to all fours almost casually. Gladio certainly doesn’t hesitate to step to the front, his enormous form towering over Mal, who has shifted as well. His patterning is to be expected— deep brown with gray ticking around his muzzle. His ears are smaller than average, but his legs are long. He looks them all over, gaze hovering on Prompto for a moment. 

“Ready?” Noctis asks, breaking his gaze and drawing him back to the rest of the group. Prompto lets out a breath, letting his ears perk back up slightly.

“As I’ll ever be. You know where you’re goin’?”

Noctis snorts. “I can figure it out.”

“Well, we ain’t got till the sun disappears, so how about I lead and you can thank me later.”

Mal doesn’t wait for an answer, just takes off north, expecting the rest of them to follow. They do so, wordlessly, Prompto holding towards the back near Gladio— just to be safe. The desert sun beats down and heats up the terrain, and as Noctis pants heavily with his dark coat, Prompto finds himself grateful for his pale blond fur. 

Some of the heat gives way as they find themselves among the shadow-casting walls of rising cliffs and building ruins. Mal slows as they approach, sniffing and looking around. He stops, waiting in the shadow of a large brick pillar. 

“Hey there, bossman.” 

The new voice belongs to a wolf that appears from behind another partially-demolished brick structure. He’s much smaller than Mal, body slender and fur silver. There’s a small, teal strip of fabric around his neck that only becomes noticeable as he slinks closer to the five of them. He stops in front of Mal and dips his head. 

“Dino,” Mal says. “Been here a while?”

“Came as soon as you said. Me ‘n Vyv, we were patrollin’, but I left him to finish up and get here for the hunt.” 

“Good,” Mal says, nodding at him and then turning back to the other four. “Boys, this is Dino. He’s our Pack’s Omega, but he’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders.”

Gladio shifts uneasily on his paws. 

“Which one-a youse guys is the Alpha?” Dino asks, eyes trailing over the four of them. There’s another moment of silence before Noctis clears his throat and speaks up. 

“I am, I guess.”

“You  _ guess? _ ” Mal almost laughs. “Not gonna lie, I woulda thought it’s your big guy over here.”

“Noct leads,” Gladio says, bluntly. “And makes our final decisions. Just like he should make the decision about how we’re gonna get that behemoth and take our bounty.”

“All right, all right. Fair ‘nough. Last I heard, beast is hangin’ out in those channels. I’m thinkin’ lurin’ it out into an ambush is our best bet,” Mal says. “Whatd’you think,  _ Alpha? _ ” 

Noctis spares the smallest glance at Ignis, who doesn’t make any motion to help him. Instead he remains silent, encouraging Noctis to decide on his own. Noctis surveys the land briefly, eyes following the cliffs that rise above them and the opening that leads to the channels Mal mentioned. He nods. 

“Couple of us could go up, attack from above as he comes out.”

Mal seems satisfied with the answer. “All right. Dino— you know your role. And I’m assumin’ y’all want the floppy-eared one to help him?”

Prompto flattens his ears to his head, resisting the urge to sink behind Gladio. 

“Help him with...?”

“Playin’ bait, obviously.”

“ _ Obviously _ ?” Gladio steps forward, his eyes narrowing. 

“He seems quick, that’s all,” Mal says, eyeing up Gladio. The two of them hold the tension for a moment, before Gladio finally steps back and breaks his gaze, seemingly satisfied with the answer. He turns to look at Prompto instead. 

“You good with that, Prom?”

“It’ll be fine,” Prompto chimes, trying to let his ears perk up again. “You guys really think I’m gonna be able to stay quiet enough for an ambush?”

Noctis smiles at him, bumping his shoulder, which almost makes the idea of being live bait worth it. “Thanks, Prom. We’ll be close. If anything goes wrong, just yell.”

“Yell? Louder than normal? Got it,” Prompto winks. He heads away from the group, gesturing for Dino to follow him, and ignores the pang in his chest that feels tight on his lungs. When he’s finally out of eyesight, he lets his tail droop slightly, but does his best to keep the rest of his disappointment concealed from Dino. 

“This way,” Dino says, pointing with his head as they reach a fork in the canyons. Prompto scents the air and catches something strong— he doesn’t know the smell from memory, but the musk behind it makes it hard to pin it as anything other than a behemoth. He nods, following Dino, and keeps his eyes peeled. Each step brings the scent closer, making it stronger in his nose. He snorts, as if it will dislodge some of the smell stuck in his nostrils, but all it does is earn him a look from Dino. He ducks his head low, ready to make a comment, and freezes when something crashes around the bend in the ravine. 

“Think that’s our guy?” Prompto says, voice low. 

“Oh, that’s our guy,” Dino shoots back. “Ready, kid?”

“You bet.” 

They hold their ground until the rumbling draws nearer, an enormous beast stomping around the corner. A gust of musk assaults him fully and Prompto is taken aback for a moment, faced with the smell and a towering form that casts shadows over the two wolves. The monster rears up upon seeing them, letting out a roar as it crashes back down to the ground and lunges forward.

“That’s our cue!” 

Prompto takes off, Dino on his heels, the behemoth thundering right behind them. He does his best just to glance back over his shoulder and judge its distance, but all he sees is tough, worn skin and teeth that gleam in the harsh midday light. He yelps as he stumbles forward, urging more speed from his limbs. What had seemed like a relatively quick walk into the channels now seemed like an endless marathon out, his legs pumping against the dirt. 

For a moment, he trips over his own paws, fumbling to regain the ground he lost against the behemoth chasing him down. He can hear it behind him and sprints forward as finally, the opening to the channels comes into view. Up top, he can just barely make out the forms of his Packmates, hunkered down against the rocks and weeds. 

“ _ Noooct! _ ” Prompto and Dino breach the mouth of the canyon, the behemoth right behind them. Prompto throws himself behind a brick structure and Dino veers right, while the familiar snarl of Noctis’ attack fills the area. Prompto peeks out from behind his shelter just in time to see Noctis’ dark form hurling towards the behemoth’s back, landing on the broad shoulders and tearing into flesh. Mal follows behind him, while Gladio works on toppling feet by assisting Ignis, who is tearing at ankles. 

“Lay low now; our job is over.” Dino rounds the brick tower to hunker down next to Prompto, panting heavily. 

“Are you kidding?” Prompto glances at him, then looks back to the fight happening merely yards in front of him. He watches Ignis dive out of the way to avoid a stomping paw. “I’m just waiting for the right…  _ opening! _ ”

Prompto finds his opening, racing out beside Ignis to leap up and latch onto sensitive skin below the underbelly of the beast. 

“That a Pup, Prompto!” Gladio grins at him as he runs around to the backside, biting at a hock and tearing out chunks of hide. Above them, the behemoth lets out another roar, rearing back on two legs once more. 

“Noct, how’s it goin’—!?” Gladio grunts as he takes a sweep of the tail to his chest, sliding back along the ground in an attempt to stop it. He manages another bite, but it’s cut short as he jumps to evade another attack.

Noctis grunts from above Prompto, clearly struggling to hang on amongst the stomping, but soon after the dark-furred wolf topples off the back of the behemoth as it slams into the cliffside nearby. When it shakes itself clear of the collision, Mal also drops off. Rid of its passengers, the behemoth turns, rounding on Noctis, who is still righting himself from the fall.

It lowers its horns, aimed directly at Noctis, and Prompto feels his heart skip in his chest as he scrambles to beat it there, barreling into Noctis and throwing them both out of the way. They skid in the dirt, tumbling over one another as the behemoth roars in frustration. 

“You okay?” Prompto asks, panting as he detangles himself from Noctis. 

“Yeah… Thanks; I owe you one!”

“Anytime, dude!” Prompto nudges him playfully before circling back out, trying to regain some idea what what’s happening. Gladio has ended up on the creature’s back, once again aided by Mal, and Ignis continues to weave strategically underneath. 

“The throat, Noct,” Ignis calls, dodging another stomp. 

“I’m on it!”

Between the biting from above and the weaving below, the behemoth begins to stumble. Prompto rushes back in, aiding in what seems to be the final stretch. The giant beast staggers into a brick column, the structure collapsing around them in a cloud of mortar and dust, and Noctis takes the opportunity to leap upward, snapping jaws aimed directly at its throat. 

He sinks in, eliciting a bellow from the behemoth that splits the clearing and makes their chests shake. All at once, the beast collapses on it’s side, hissing and spitting as it struggles against a grip that Noctis holds firm. Despite its efforts, Noctis only clamps harder, growling around the flesh under his teeth. Prompto circles, catching a glimpse of Noctis' wild blue eyes as his teeth sink in further, drawing blood that oozes around his maw. The behemoth, slowly choking, spittles and foams, limbs thrashing before it finally stills. Noctis gives a final, cautionary shake of his head before he lets go and steps back.

"Is anyone injured?" Ignis asks, trotting up alongside the fallen body. Prompto glances around, but it seems as if most of the blood smeared on their jaws and fur belongs to the behemoth. 

"Just some bruises," Gladio says. "Nothin' big, Iggy."

"I'll be  _ damned _ ," Mal howls, hopping a top the behemoth's body to look down at Noctis. "You put up a hell of a fight there, Alpha."

"My Pack helped," Noctis says, though he spits blood from the killing bite as he does. 

Mal hops down, judging the bite wounds along the behemoth's neck, and seemingly satisfied, gives Noctis a firm nudge. "But that's  _ your _ handiwork. Don't it feel good? Take some credit." 

"It was a swift kill, Noct," Ignis agrees. "You should be proud."

Noctis squirms, slightly, but his ears stand a little taller. "Yeah, okay— it was a good hunt."

"Let's get outta here and collect that reward, huh?" Mal turns to look at the brick ruins. "Dino! You done hidin' back there?"

Dino emerges from his hiding spot, surveying the battle scene before moving next to Mal. Amongst the wagging tails and shoulder touches with his own Pack, Prompto can't help but notice the tucked tail and careful distance that Dino keeps from his Alpha. Even as they leave, the careful body language doesn't seem to get much better, and despite the adrenaline, Prompto spends the majority of the trip back uncharacteristically quiet, too lost in thought about the way Dino slinks after his Pack member. They reach the settlement again and Dino disappears instead of staying nearby to celebrate the victory. It’s odd in a way Prompto finds unsettling, and he tries not to focus on it too much.

Despite the finished hunt, they remain on four legs, tired and aching bodies not quite ready for the exertion of a shift back. Ignis makes sure to grab all of their clothes and phones, nosing them into a single-strap bag that he slips around his withers for the trip back. He makes note of the flier that Gladio collected from the diner, passing it to Mal as he walks them to the border of the property.

“We’ll leave your portion of the bounty with the tipster,” Ignis promises. “You have our word, as partners in the hunt and members of Insomnia.”

“Thank you,” Mal nods at Noctis. “Mighty fine huntin’ you did today, Alpha.”

Prompto watches the muscles in Noctis’ lip twitch as he just barely avoids making a face. Instead, he just shrugs, keeping his eyes steady on Mal. “Thanks… So, what about your end of the deal?” 

“What d’you wanna know?”

“We’ve reason to believe there are several new Crystal growths in the area,” Ignis explains. “Have your usual patrols found anything that may lead us to them?”

Mal studies them for a moment. His gaze passes over Noctis, then Prompto, hovering briefly before he shakes his head, though it’s not without the faintest hint of a smirk. “Can’t help ya.”

“These Crystals are Insomnia’s by tradition to guard,” Ignis begins again. “We only wish to gather information. Please, if you know anything, we would greatly appreciate it...”

“I  _ told  _ you, I don’t know.”

“Bull _ shit _ ,” Noctis hisses. “Keep your end of the damn deal; I know you’re lying.”

“Forgive hi—”

“Y’know, I’m surprised the _mutt_ back there has more manners than your smartmouth Alpha.”

“ _ Excuse me _ ?” Noctis narrows his eyes. 

Behind him, Prompto shrinks back. Every part of him is a beacon of deviation: from his stupid floppy ear to his bright fur and his awkward, spotty patterns. He wishes he could sink into the dirt, save them all the trouble of this confrontation. It wouldn’t be the first, and it’s probably not the last. Especially now that they’re traveling. It was one thing inside the Pack, where for the most part, Gladio had put the fear of the Moon into anyone who dared protest, but here, on the dirt with strangers and no protection, he might as well have just stayed back at the camper. 

“You heard me. Insomnia bringing in strays of just any breed now? Even  _ half _ dog, he ain’t got no place in a Pack with wolves.” 

“He has a place wherever we  _ damn  _ well say.” Noctis steps forward, locking eyes with Mal, whose hackles have raised. 

“You think I didn’t notice those stupid collars you all wear?” Mal asks, eyeing the thick, silver-embroidered collars around their necks. "A  _ mutt _ as part of your precious  _ Crownscollar?  _ Maybe that’s why the Crystal is going to shit— you ever think about that? Y’all have mutants guarding it and it’s fucking with the purity.” 

“You shut the  _ fuck _ up—” 

“Why bother with him?” Mal sneers, showing sharp teeth. “Do you keep him just to boss him around? No better reason to keep dog-fucker offspring around than to make them your Omega bitc—”

Noctis lunges, snarling, but Gladio grips him around his scruff and tugs him back, even as he spits and barks. He pulls furiously against the restraint as Mal laughs. 

“Why not let your little guard dog have a go at me instead and prove his place,” Mal smirks,  locking eyes with Prompto, who refuses to look away. “What do you say, mutt?”

“Actually, we’ll be taking our leave,” Ignis says. He takes a step back, gently moving in front of Prompto and breaking his line of sight with Mal. Ignis pushes him, gently, towards the edge of the settlement. “Move along, Prompto. Pay him no mind.” 

"Well!? You want your info 'bout the Crystals? There's your info— get rid of that mutt and maybe it'll get better for you," Mal calls after them, even as they turn to leave. 

“Keep your fuckin’ opinions to yourself,” Gladio snarls around a mouthful of the collar that Noctis still strains against. He’s still spitting and his canines, bared to the wolf in front of him, have grown an inch larger than they should be.

Ignis nudges Prompto out again, leaving the property, and Gladio drags Noctis with him, who is still struggling enough that it’s difficult. It isn’t until they’re several steps away that he settles and Gladio is able to let go of him fully. For half a moment, it seems as if he’s about to turn around and charge back, but Gladio shoves him further forward and they continue away from the shelters. Ignis leads, keeping an eye on Prompto, while Gladio takes up the rear and watches Noct. 

As they get further from the camp, Prompto speaks for the first time. His tongue is dry and there's a ringing in his ears that makes it almost impossible to hear himself. “I'm sorry… I should have—”

“—Fuck that.” Noctis spits. His teeth are still a little too big and it's evident he's furious by the way his fur stands in a straight line down his back. “I don't give a shit what he has to say. He’s wrong.”

“Should have let you go at him,” Gladio mutters to Noctis.

“Diplomacy…” Ignis reminds them, then sighs. “As satisfying as that would have been, we need to keep a semi-functional relationship with neighboring Packs. Flawed in structure as they may be...”

“Does it matter…? We still didn't get any information out of them,” Prompto says. There's more he wants to say and more he wants to protest, but with Noctis as riled up as he is, the heat, and no new information on the Crystals they're looking for, it doesn't seem appropriate to bring it up. 

“We'll figure it out. And if not, we'll just come back and beat the info out of them,” Gladio says, giving a casual shrug. 

Noctis, still in the process of shaking off the anger sharpening his features, trots next to Prompto. He blinks a few times, ducking his head to catch Prompto's eye before he gives him a nudge. “You good?”

“Me? O-oh yeah, I'm fine. I've got thick fur, y'know?” Prompto laughs, shaking out his fur coat as they walk as if to emphasize his point. 

“If you say so,” Noctis says. He seems to let some of the concern melt out of his features. “C’mon, let’s go back to the camper. We can—”

Noctis stops, ears swiveling to the sound of footsteps behind them. He freezes, the anger that he had seemingly let simmer out coming back full force as he growls at the unseen threat.

“ _ Hey, hey, hey _ — hold up,” The voice is hushed but familiar and it’s only when the small, silver wolf slinks out from behind a rocky outcropping that they recognize it entirely.

“Dino.” Ignis raises an eyebrow. His posture stiffens and he steps, once again, in front of Prompto. 

“Look, I don’t want no trouble from youse guys, okay? Mal— he’s— well he’s a big Alpha guy and he says some shit he shouldn’t sometimes.” 

“We have an Alpha, too. He’s not a fucking asshole,” Gladio growls. 

“Different Pack, I guess.” Dino shrugs to the best of a wolf’s ability. “That aside, I’m riskin’ my skin to come talk to you, ‘kay? I think I know a little about what you’re lookin' for.”

“Do you?” Ignis sounds unamused.

“You’re tryin’ to figure out what’s causin’ the Crystals to get weaker, yeah?”

The four of them pause, sparing small glances at one another before looking back to Dino. 

“What do you know of it?” Noctis asks, stepping forward just slightly.

“Look, Pup, I might not be at the top of the Pack, but I ain’t dumb. I think we all know where our favorite moonlight in a bottle drugs come from?”

“We’re familiar with how the shifting drugs are made, yes…” Ignis works his jaw. “Though we certainly don’t condone their use.”

“I had an old Pack with some late-to-shift wolves that were hooked on ‘em. But they just ain’t workin’ like they used to.” 

“Probably ain’t made with high quality stuff,” Gladio says. “Cheaper that way.”

Dino shakes his head. “There ain’t high quality stuff left anymore.”

“Insomnia still holds guard over a pure structure,” Ignis says, but even as the words leave his mouth, they feel bitter and wrong. He glances at Noctis, who thankfully doesn’t notice.

“Either way, Crystals outside your guard are failing and my Pack needed help. I started lookin’ up ways to make common gems work the same, but none of ‘em trap moonlight the right way.”

“So then I’d imagine you’re fairly knowledgeable on where to find these structures,” Ignis says. His posture has loosened, just slightly, and Prompto steps out from behind him. Dino is infinitely less threatening than Mal and hasn’t shown any hostility, even if he did conveniently disappear during the argument. 

“Yeah, I am,” Dino boasts. “But I ain’t too good at remembering unless I got some incentive.” 

“There it is,” Gladio mutters. He rolls his eyes. “How about we don’t go back and tell Mal where you’ve been?”

Dino glares for a moment, but quickly backs down against Gladio’s harsh gaze and large size. “Balouve Mines would be your best bet. I spent some time there lookin’ for gems for my old Pack.”

Ignis nods. “Thank you, Dino.” 

“Your old Pack… What happened to them?” Prompto asks quietly, speaking up for the first time.

Dino hesitates. “They’re gone. Older guys couldn’t handle it no more and split. One lost his head to the wolf and the other put a bullet in his skull before he could, too. Pack broke up, so me ‘n Vyv found our way here with Mal’s Pack.”

“I’m sorry,” Prompto says. Dino shrugs again. 

“Packs don’t last, kid. They’re just units. They fall apart and change, just like anything else.”

“A Pack is a family,” Gladio says. He’s not arguing. “You’d die for ‘em. That’s the difference."

Dino laughs in disbelief, though there’s a melancholy to it that makes Prompto’s chest ache. He wonders what it’s like, losing a Pack like that to such awful circumstances. The idea of ever finding out is too dark a path to travel down, so he closes it off and instead just nods at Dino in thanks. The silver wolf nods back. 

“Good luck,” Dino says as he turns his back on them. 

“You, too.” 

It’s only when the reach the car do they shift back, sliding from outfits of fur to fabric. Noctis keeps his pointy teeth, which is no surprise given how sharp he’d made them only a few minutes ago. When settled, Ignis assumes his place at the wheel and Prompto, still lost inside his head, slips into the passenger seat without bothering to do much more than lean on the window. He picks at the fibers starting to come loose on the knees of his pants until the daylight fades enough that he can’t see the details.

“We’ll map out our plan in the morning,” Ignis says when he pulls the car into the lot near the caravan again. “For now, let’s all get something to eat and rest.”

“Noct, you wanna play King’s Knight while we wait for dinner?” Prompto asks. He puts effort into the words, but they still don’t carry their usual energy; he knows they can all tell. Despite this, he grins, and turns to face his Packmate in the back seat.

“You’re on,” Noctis smiles back as he gets out of the car. 

With all their cracks, worn paint, and hard plastic, the cheap chairs clustered around the table outside the caravan look less than inviting when Prompto finally sinks down into one of them, but they feel like a wave of relief all the same. Noctis mirrors him with a groan, resting his head against the back as he slides down into the chair next to Prompto. His fingers are weary as he pulls out his phone, but it’s only seconds before he has the game’s familiar menu up on the screen. 

“Not without me,” Gladio says, flopping into a chair as well. 

While rapid button tapping is a helpful distraction for the next half hour, Prompto inevitably finds himself drawn back to the earlier events in the day. They poke at his skull like a gnat until he finds them traveling, swirling in his chest as a quickly-forming ball of anxiety. The tapping becomes a little more frequent, almost messy, until he finally draws a breath and slides the phone into his pocket.

"Gladio’s lack of gamer skills are making me nauseous. I'm gonna go for a walk and get some fresh air; I'll be right back," Prompto says, slapping Noctis on the shoulder as he stands up. 

"Howl if you need us," Noct says. He smiles without looking up from his phone and for just a moment, Prompto watches the way the flashing colors on the screen reflect in his eyes and makes them shine. He bites his lip, hesitating, before he turns and heads back behind the camper. 

Prompto walks for a while before stopping, scrambling up over a large boulder to sit cross-legged on the top and gaze up at the moon. Out of the city, deep into the unpopulated desert, the stars dust the night in blankets rather than small, fragmented speckles. Prompto finds comfort in it for a second, before he starts thinking a little too hard and his thoughts pull him from the tranquility of the heavy blue sky. 

 

Although he flinches when he first hears them, he recognizes the footsteps and doesn’t look up.

Gladio settles next to him on the rock, leaning back and looking up at the waning moon. Only a sliver of it missing from the whole orb, its light still bright in the sky. Prompto looks up at it for a second before turning his gaze back to his boots. 

“Still thinking about this afternoon?” 

“How'd you know?” Prompto mumbles into his knees. 

“You aren't exactly the type to wander off into the wilds for alone time. That's my job.” Gladio nudges Prompto’s shoulder, hard enough that he has to unwrap his arms and catch himself from falling over. Gladio pulls something out from beside him and hands it to Prompto. “And you didn't even bring your camera.”

“Oh…” Prompto takes the camera in his hand, looking at the blank viewing screen on the back. “Yeah, guess that makes it pretty obvious, huh? My bad.”

They sit in silence for a moment, breeze ruffling their hair. It’s cooler than the afternoon, but still sticks with summer heat. Prompto takes a deep breath, his normal overflowing bubble of words failing him with Gladio sitting nearby. He should make a comment, or a jive, but instead he fidgets uselessly with the camera in his hands.  

“Listen, Prom— it's bullshit. All of it.” 

“I know—”

“—You say you know, but you don't. All right?” Gladio’s tone is firm and not even particularly inviting, but somehow there’s not any malice to it. “I know you don't believe it, and none of us are gonna be able to make you, because figuring that all out is your job... But you're part of this Pack.”

“Gladio…”

“You're stuck with us. For a  _ long. ass. time _ . And as long as that is, we've got your back and you've got ours. All right?”

“Never heard you get this passionate about a speech for anything other than noodles,” Prompto jokes. 

“Don't deflect with humor, Prom,” Gladio says, shoving him again, this time hard enough that he topples over. He stays there for a moment before righting himself. “I mean it. You're Pack.”

“Thanks.”

“Come back to the camper in a minute, okay? Iggy’s making curry.” 

“Sounds good; be there in just a minute.” 

Gladio nods, standing from his place next to Prompto. As he does, he slaps a broad hand over the smaller man’s back, then walks away without another word. Prompto draws a deep breath, tapping the power button on his camera and letting the device flicker to life. The screen glows a pale blue against the darkness and he peers down at the few photos he took today. There aren’t many, given most of the day was spent on four paws. 

He flips past a blurry picture of a dualhorn to see a picture of Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio all grouped together, chatting. Noctis has a sleepy grin on his face, Gladio and Ignis are in a fairly lively conversation, with Gladio’s hand outstretched as he explains his point. Prompto stares at the photo for a minute, his chest feeling hollow. Despite having taken the snapshot merely feet away, he doesn’t feel present in the moment it captures. 

It’s like this often enough he’s gotten used to it: feeling just slightly displaced. For the most part, it’s background, with tiny pangs that hit in his chest just strong enough to be noticeable but not enough to do much more than keep him up an extra half an hour at night.

Prompto tucks his camera away and pushes himself to his feet.

Wallowing alone on a rock won’t make it better, he figures. Gladio trekked all the way out to find him and Ignis is going through the trouble of making one of his favorite meals in the tiny, cramped confines of the camper kitchen. The least he can do is return to camp with the same smile and bad jokes they expect from him. He draws a breath, letting the air in his lungs fill his chest and smother out the worry. 

“Noct!” he chimes as he rounds the camper again, all but leaping into his chair in a display of forced energy. His Packmate glances up at him from his phone and Prompto smiles, letting the warmth he feels bloom in his chest, genuine. “You miss me?”

“Tons,” Noct says. He gestures at his phone. “Team’s not full without you.”

Prompto nods, playing the words over in his head until they feel true. He’ll force it, mulling and molding them until he can fit them into whatever empty holes anxiety eats away in his chest. He’ll believe him, letting the thought of inclusion fuel the doglike loyalty that runs through his very veins. He thinks he’d give the very blood inside them to Noctis if he asked.

 


	5. chapter v

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And if I can’t?”
> 
> “You’d better,” Gladio says firmly. It’s stabilizing. “You’re our goddamn Alpha, aren’t you?” 
> 
>  
> 
> The Bonds of a Pack will surpass the pull of the moon, steady even against that which drags the tides. Ignis has known this since before he was born a wolf. Prompto has had that loyalty sewn into his soul. For Noctis: anything. Final Fantasy XV Werewolf AU. No ABO Elements, original wolf lore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience on the update, assuming you're still with me! This one was tough to write, for some reason. I had bits and pieces of it ready and connecting them all was a lot for me. But the fact that this is my first fic and I'm 5 chapters and 23k in is mind-blowing to me, so I guess it could be a lot worse!
> 
> Thank you again for sticking with me and taking an interest in my Furry FFXV! :')

The Balouve Mines are dead except for an unhealthy layer of settled dust and the occasional rat that squeaks past their feet, causing Prompto to jump and yelp every time. Old carts lay littered along the broken railroad that line the floor of the tunnels, some toppled into their path or crooked on their track. The elevator ride down into the mines had been the worst part, long and excruciating, each creak and groan of metal causing tension among the group as they half-expected the rusted floor to give out below them. It had been a relief to push past the elevator doors and continue on solid ground, even if they were several stories below the open sky. 

For the most part, they walk aimlessly. Noctis does his best to reach into his chest and follow his instinct, letting the wolf sniff out the crystals that may or may not be there. At forks in the tunnels, he hardly hesitates, letting his first gut feeling tug him down the  path. Eventually, it seems to work, as straight-cut walls of hard stone give way to those half-carved as they wind down halls and staircases, into lesser-excavated portions of the mines. Unfinished tracks stretch along the floor and wall lamps, long burnt out, become less frequent. 

“We’re getting close,” he tells them, feeling less confident than he lets himself sound. But the ever present tug of the Crystal becomes stronger as they reach a dead end with a crevice in the wall.

“You gotta be shitting me,” Gladio grumbles as he looks at the width. 

“Big guy problems, huh?” Prompto says. “Can’t relate.”

With that, Noctis squishes himself into the space, urging his body forward through the small gap and towards the growing light source at the end of it. Rock brushes against his chest, but he continues, until the room at the end of the exceptionally narrow tunnel opens up, allowing for space and some of the pressure squeezing on Noctis’ chest from the inside-out to lessen. When he’s finally gained his breath against the claustrophobia ebbing away, he glances around, wide-eyed, and takes in the sight of the room in front of him. 

It’s large by normal standards, not just in comparison with the crack-in-the-wall he just exited, spanning at least ten meters across in either direction. Even more spacious is the roof, which yawns up above them in shadowy, bounding stretches of uncarved rock. The entire room is dark but for their flashlights and what little light reaches them through a gap in the rockwork above them. It bounces down the cavern on gems, catching on the dozens of glittering Crystals that lie embedded in the stone floor and lower parts of the wall. They rise in pale, ghostly spires, the light that reaches them vibrating deep in their nearly-clear cores and making them shine like lanterns. 

Prompto spills out of tunnel behind him, then Ignis, and finally Gladio. All of them are silent as they stand beside their Packmate in the open stone room, taking in the sight of many Crystal sprouts. 

“They’re certainly smaller than what we guard back home,” Ignis comments finally. He eyes the tallest one, which only reaches to their waists. “But I suppose they’ve all some growing to do yet.” 

Noctis hums his response as he ventures further into the cave. The Crystals are smaller, but their energy is still present, humming through the cave when he reaches out for them with his Bond. He won’t actually connect with them — the entire process is lengthy and exhausting — but it’s comforting to know that they’re singing, on their own metaphysical level. He holds his hand out carefully, brushing his fingertips along the cool, hard surface.

Something is very wrong.

Noctis skitters back as the Crystal lets out a hiss, chunks of its form crumbling away like chalk. He watches with horror as the chunks, along with the inner forms they fell away from, start to darken rapidly. As they do, they melt, morphing into thick black tar that smokes and smells of rotten flesh. It takes hold of Noctis’ throat and squeezes, causing him to stumble back, hacking. When he looks again with watering eyes, he sees the entire chunk of formerly-shining Crystal dripping away into nothing but a pool of liquid.

Panic kicks in his chest, a combination of shock and pure instinct led by the wolf that normally sleeps peacefully between his ribs. It knows, on the most primal level, that something is very wrong, every hair standing on end as Noctis watches the remains of the Crystal smoke out into nothing. The putrid, diseased ink bubbles once, before finally lying still at his feet. He gags, stumbling back again as he nearly retches. 

For once, he and his party are silent. The usual jokes and laughter, even the quiet hum of pleasant company seems to have been abruptly snuffed out. He knows his fear has been thrown across their Bond, heavy and unrestrained, and they all stay silent with the weight of it. 

Ignis has no explanation. Even as Noctis turns to him, searching his face for some sort of clue, some sort of well-prepared response, he gets nothing. Instead, all he sees is Ignis with his hand over his mouth and unchecked fear in his eyes. It does absolutely nothing to quell Noctis' rising panic.

"W… W-what the fuck was that?" Prompto asks, finally breaking the silence. 

“It would seem,” Ignis starts, finding his voice again past the slightest shake, “that the Crystal is experiencing a type of illness…” 

“It’s  _ sick _ ?”

“It’s a living…  _ thing _ ,” Noctis says, eyes still on the puddle. “We— I mean, it Bonds with us. So it could get sick, right?”

“It appears so,” Ignis confirms. He ventures closer to Noctis, pushing his glasses up on his face as he peers down at the goo. It gives one final bubble before simmering out entirely.

“Are they all like this…?” Prompto peers around the cavern, eyeing the handful of structures that sprout from the dark, slick rock surrounding them. Hesitantly, he creeps toward another, tapping it with the toe of his boot and giving a very dog-like yelp when it lets out a sickly whistle and melts into the same fate as the first.

“Well, that one is...” Prompto hurries back to the group, nervous grimace on his face. He sticks unusually close to Noctis, even by his normal standards. It’s not unwelcome; Noctis can feel, even past the nervousness pinging around on their Bond, a warm comfort from keeping his Pack close. 

“Maybe we should test all of em,” Gladio says. “We’re supposed to report back, right? We should find any of the healthy ones we can…”

Noctis glances at all of them, then back at the two piles of sludge they’ve already created. The foul smell still drifts through the cavern, making the air thick with death. It sticks to his tongue and the roof of his mouth, stinging his nose like burnt rubber. Thinking about it makes nausea turn his stomach. Logically, Gladio is right; they need to know. And with the buzzing anxiety in the back of his skull, he  _ wants  _ to know. He moves over and nudges another. 

It cracks into larger chunks, less granulated than before. Some of the pieces scatter across the stone floor, more solid than expected, while others whither away at the base where they fall. Noctis waits a minute, watching for the others to go, but they seem to stay where they’ve landed, relatively whole except for their chipped edges. As Noctis looks closer however, he sees that they’ve grown murky, wisps of black stretching through their cores like trapped smoke. 

“More duds,” Gladio calls from where he’s ventured on the other side of the cave, smoking tar seeping into the ground by his feet. 

“Nothing good over here,” Prompto says. He pokes at another crystal with the barrel of his pistol. "What do you think would happen if we actually touched it…?"

"Why don't you lick it and find out?" Gladio growls. Suddenly thinking better of the statement, he stalks towards Prompto and drags him away by his collar before the dog can take him up on the offer. 

Noctis looks to Ignis again, who is kneeling beside a puddle of tar where one lone, clear spire of crystal reaches from the center in a dying gasp. It soon collapses and joins the rest.

"Same results, I'm afraid…"

They regroup, uneasy tension bouncing along their Bond. It settles slightly among the proximity of one another, but still pulses too strongly to be ignored. Ignis clears his throat. 

“No luck, then?” 

“Found a few pieces that sorta held up, but they’re…” Noctis trails off.

They’re dying anyways, he finishes mentally. Whatever ink licks their insides and burns them out is clearly sprouting in their core, winding its way into the very fibers of their structure. It’s likely only a matter of time before those growths wilt away as well. And after that…

“They’re all connected, right?” Noctis asks, looking at Ignis. He tries to keep the sickness in his stomach from reaching his voice. “These and any others and the one back home— it’s all connected?”

“Theoretically,” Ignis says, but it’s hesitant and uncharacteristically uncertain. “Whatever is still implanted and growing originates from the same source, like a metaphysical root structure.”

“Your necklace?”

“Mostly independent from the structure since it was removed; it should be all right.”

“...And the crystal back home…?” Noctis watches something change in Ignis’ face. He’s not sure what— it’s an expression that flashes so briefly and is hidden again so quickly that Noctis can’t pick it up, but the elusiveness is enough to tell him what he needs. “...Specs?”

“It’s… not doing well.”

“What d’you mean?” Gladio furrows his brow, head tilting just slightly.

“I received a call from Cor… Regis underwent the ceremony again two nights ago…”

“When did you find out?” Noctis’ voice is strained. He feels a heat rising in his chest, creeping into his limbs and making them buzz.

“The morning after.”

“And you  _ kept  _ it from me?”

“Cor requested—”

“I don’t  _ care _ what Cor requested, Ignis!” Noctis shouts, voice sharper than he wants with the mixture of anger and fear rising in his chest. Despite it, Ignis remains calm. It almost makes him angrier, but instead he just shakes, struggling to keep the emotions from seeping into his voice. “That’s my d— I need to  _ know _ these things!”

“Noct, hey…” Prompto speaks up, attempting to keep some sort of peace when he brushes up alongside Noctis, their shoulders bumping. Deep down, the gesture is appreciated, but Noctis cuts it short with a glare, frustration getting the best of him. Prompto backs off with a grimace. 

“When were you going to tell me?” he asks Ignis, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I thought there would be a more appropriate time to—”

“Oh, dear. How... _ unfortunate. _ ” 

Noctis' head whips around, away from Ignis and towards the source of the sound, a voice unfamiliar amongst his Pack's. He doesn't want unfamiliar right now, especially an unfamiliar that sounds just a little too sarcastic about the mess laid out before them. Noctis lifts his lip as he stares towards the tunnel from which the voice sounded, watching as a man steps toward them. He carefully picks his way around the sludge trails that have trickled over the stone floor, a strange expression of both amusement and distaste stretched over his face. 

"Can we  _ help _ you?" Noctis asks, caution in his voice as he eyes the man. His expression gleams just a little too unnatural in the low light, eyeshine catching on their flashlights. A wolf, Noctis notes, careful from that moment on not to let too many of his anxious emotions roll off him.

“ _ I _ don’t appear to be the one in need of help,” the man answers, gazing around the room at the tar puddles. Noctis feels protective of the wasteland at his feet, though he can’t fully explain why. There’s nothing left to protect. At least not here, not in this cave that reeks of death. There’s a new cloud of the scent that seems to roll, freshly rank, into Noctis’ nose, kicked up by the man as he walks. Noctis holds back the bile in his throat. 

“Then what the Hell are you doing here? Who are you?”

“I go by Ardyn,” he answers, waving a hand. He bows, just slightly, and as he does, his entire form dips low, changing into that of a large, dark brown wolf right before them. It’s a shift more fluid than Noctis has ever witnessed, even in the presence of Ignis or the highly trained members of the Crownscollar. Uneasiness wells in his stomach, thick like the tar at his feet. “Ardyn Izunia.” 

Ardyn completes the bow, large head dipped low, his gold eyes still trained directly on Noctis. 

“And the Pack to which you belong?” Ignis asks carefully. He’s picked his way closer to Noctis in the interim, a strategic move that Noctis is grateful for. The backing of a Packmate does wonders to soothe the small thrum of anxiety that rattles the wolf inside his chest; he sends a silent thanks down their shared Bond. 

“None to name,” Ardyn responds. “I tend to wander...”

“Lone wolves go mad,” Gladio says. “You sayin’ you’re an exception?” 

“Guilty.” He chuckles, flashing teeth. 

Behind Noctis, Gladio has begun to growl, low in his throat. He can feel the unease like pinpricks at their Bond. 

“And what brings you here?” Ignis continues to question, still positioned protectively near Noctis. “It seems a trip made only with deliberate intentions.” 

“It would seem to be the same intentions as  _ your  _ Pack…” Ardyn moves forward, shifting his position to Noctis, which Ignis and Gladio both mirror. “And with the same disheartening results, I assume.”

“You expected to find this?” Noctis narrows his eyes, watching the Ardyn’s gold eyes carefully for signs of a lie. Any flicker of emotion that will give him more information than the near-riddles he’s speaking in as he circles them. 

“The Crystal doesn’t seem to be faring well  _ anywhere _ , now does it, Insomnia?”

Gladio bristles again and Noctis can feel his own anger spike, still not fully placated from the conversation that the man interrupted. He runs his tongue over sharpened teeth before responding. 

“Why are you here?” he growls. “What did you want with the Crystals here?” 

“Simple curiosity, that’s all.” Ardyn smiles, all teeth, and Noctis swears he watches his pelt flash a type of unnatural iridescence, like an oil slick in sun, some kind of threat display than makes the hairs on the back of Noctis’ neck stand up. It’s gone as fast as it happens, in a blink and a breath, and Noctis finds himself clinging to it, his wolf understanding that something is very, instinctually wrong about it. The reaction in his chest is visceral. 

“ _ Get out _ .” Noctis barks the order, his own eyes flashing wild and wolfy, and Ardyn stops his circular pacing to stare at each of them. His eyes linger over Noctis’, holding gold to blue, before he dips his head in another bow. 

“As His  _ Alpha _ wishes.”

In as much time as it takes to blink, Ardyn has righted himself, a fully clothed human striding towards the entrance from which he came. Noctis glares after him, watching his form disappear into the darkness of the tunnel. His footsteps, though quiet, eventually fade out entirely and some of the anger bubbling in Noctis’ chest finally lies still. He licks the back of his teeth again, willing them to normal once more.

“I don’t care for him,” Ignis says, very bluntly. “Shifting that smoothly— it’s—”

“ _ Impossible _ ?” Noctis asks, still glaring into the darkness.

“... _ Difficult _ , to say the least.” Ignis draws a breath. “Something is off.”

“Who was he?” Prompto glances nervously back and forth between Ignis and Noctis. “Do we know him? Am I supposed to know him?”

Ignis shakes his head. “No, he didn’t name a Pack, and I’m unfamiliar with him as an individual…” 

“Probably just lookin’ for somethin’ to make more drugs out of,” Gladio grumbles. “We done in here? Smell’s makin’ me sick.” 

“If we’ve confirmed all the growths are corrupted, yes…” Ignis glances around the open cavern once more, scanning for any still-standing spires, but there are none to be seen. Noctis doesn’t bother to look. The familiar feeling, the humming magic on an almost-different plane, is gone. He reaches out for it, just once, but is met with a lonely fog. It’s all he needs to know. 

He marches them back to the entrance to the cave, all of them, even Prompto, silent as they walk. The heavy smell of the cavern seems to linger on their clothes and even the fresh air outside is of little relief against the weight of their discovery. Most of the sunlight has started to sink away, shadows stretching long over the dusty road. They pile into the car, Noctis slamming the door behind him with no protest from Ignis, and drive. He doesn’t ask where they’re going. 

The sun is gone entirely by the time they pull into the rest area and despite the lack of light, Noctis recognizes it instantly from previous visits. In the front seat, Prompto shifts nervously. 

“ _ Iggy _ —” he says, his voice low and a little frantic. He sits up straight as they pull into the parking lot in front of the garage and fidgets with the mess that is his hair. “You need to  _ tell us _ when we’re going to Hammerhead.” 

“Why,” Gladio asks dryly, “so you have time to prepare for your boner?”

“ _ Fuck you _ .”  

“My apologies,” Ignis says, though Noctis knows it’s far from sincere and he  _ almost  _ smiles about it. “Next time I’ll give notice.”

“We smell like death and look like we’ve been crawling around in a sewer and now I’ve gotta try to look presentable….” Prompto grumbles in the front seat, continuing under his breath in a voice low enough that Noctis stops listening as they climb out of the car. 

It doesn’t take long for Cindy to come out of the garage, rolling up the large front door and then wiping her hands on her already-stained white tank top. She smiles at them, wide and genuine. “Welcome back, boys.”

“I apologize for our late arrival and lack of notice,” Ignis says. 

“No worries,” Cindy says, waving him off with a dismissive hand gesture. “Garage is always open to y’all. What brings you by this time? Car busted again?”

“Nothing of the sort,” Ignis says. “Though it  _ may _ be because we’ve stopped letting Prompto drive—”

“— _ Dude _ —!”

“We were in the area on a scouting trip and thought this would be a suitable place to rest for the night. Similarly, it may be nice if you could provide us with an update on the area.”

“Ain’t too much new goin’ on ‘round here,” Cindy says with a small smile. “But I’d be happy to help out if y’all have any questions. If y’all wanna wash up right quick, I can finish my work in the garage and we can sit down for a minute.”

“Sounds great,” Noctis says, breaking his silence to at least show  _ some _ amount of gratitude to Cindy. 

“Do you need any help?” Prompto asks. Cindy smiles at him but shakes her head as she starts to head back to the garage. 

“No thanks, honey. I’ve got it from here— just a quick oil change!”

“Okay,” Prompto says, sounding just a little too dejected. His disappointment smothers the Bond between the four of them for just a second.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Noctis says, unable to stop the tiny grin that spreads across his face as he looks at Prompto, who is pouting comically. Noctis pats him on the shoulder and feels, for just a second, a twinge in Prompto’s emotions, much lighter than the heavy droop from before. “Next time.” 

Next time comes less than an hour later, where they gather around the table outside the caravan with Cindy, freshly washed and ready to eat the dinner Ignis had quickly prepared for them. It’s simple— fresh cold cuts on toasted bread— but it settles heavy in Noctis’ stomach as though it were a full, heavy meal. He ends up pushing half of it away by the time the rest of the group has finished. 

“So… whatchya boys wanna know?” Cindy asks as she leans back in her chair. Noctis can’t help but find it reminiscent of the way Cid moves, and it hits him with a sweeping wave of nostalgia at all the wrong moments. He vaguely remembers trips to Hammerhead with his father, receiving head pats from Cid before he and his father disappeared out of earshot and spoke of rumors and reports in the area. The contrast to their open-air dinner, surrounded by his Packmates, is jarring.

“Do you know a wolf named Ardyn?” Noctis asks her. “Uh, Izunia, I think he said his last name was. Big, dark fur, gold eyes…”

“He doesn’t have a Pack, either— according to him, at least,” Gladio adds. “Any lone wolves running around the area?”

Cindy thinks for a minute, chewing on her lip in a way that Noctis knows is driving Prompto a little bit crazy. But after a moment, she shakes her head. 

“Can’t say it rings a bell. Y’all have a run in with him recently?”

Ignis nods. “Earlier this morning. We were apparently investigating the same rumor, though ours was sent with secrecy from our Pack, so we’re uncertain where he received his information.”

“You don’t happen to be talkin’ about the Crystal, do you?”

Noctis flinches. 

“What do you know about it?”

“It ain’t doin’ so hot,” Cindy says. “Not chargin up like it used to or holdin’ the moonlight like it’s supposed to. I reckon it’s doin’ nothin’ good for you and your Pack back home, either.”

“That’s confidential information,” Noctis says, shooting a glare at Ignis. “ _ Apparently. _ ” 

Cindy shakes her head. “It ain’t really a secret no more, Noct… They might not know what’s happening exactly, but wolves ‘round these parts are startin’ to feel it. Drugs ain’t workin’ like they used to, pups are shiftin’ harder the first time, wolves aren’t holdin’ their heads like they used to… They know somethin’s up.”

Her voice is soft, almost a little too sympathetic. It’d be soothing if it didn’t make Noctis sick to his stomach with the thought; she’s known for long enough that this is hardly a shock for her. She’s had time to process. She’s had time to understand, to work her way past the surprise and shift into just feeling  _ bad _ for them. Anger bubbles in his guts again.

“Great,” Noctis snaps. “I’m literally the _ only _ wolf that didn’t know about any of this.”

He’s ignored, in favor of Prompto speaking up. “D’you know how we’d fix it? ”

“That’s way beyond us, sweetheart. Y’all are the ones who deal with all the moon’n’magic details. Paw-paw and I just keep our ears open for the Pack.” 

“And we thank you for it,” Ignis says. Noctis is only half-listening. “But despite the rumors circulating, may we ask for your discretion going forward? There’s no need to cause mass panic amongst the wolves outside our Pack.”

“We’re some of the few non-wolves that know ‘bout what y’all are. We ain’t gonna take advantage of it— promise.” 

“Thank you.” Ignis nods. “In the meantime, Noct… I suggest we start considering other options for placing the identity of the wolf in the cavern…”

“Tomorrow,” Noctis says. A mixture of exhaustion and anger swirl in his head, making it throb. Planning isn’t an option like this and he knows it. Ignis knows it too. “We’ll worry about it tomorrow.” 

“Understood,” Ignis says. “Cindy, thank you for your continuing service to the Pack. We’ll be departing in the morning, but if you could keep an ear out for any information on that wolf…” 

“Any time, y’all. Rest up for the night and make sure to stop by the shop before headin’ out in the mornin’. I’ll give y’all a discount tune up as thanks for the free meal.” 

“Yeah,” Noctis answers. “Sounds good.” 

While his Pack readies for bed and Cindy heads off, Noctis slips away from the camper. He leaves without telling them, kicking through the dust behind the tiny Hammerhead rest stop until he reaches a comfortable distance, where the light gleaming from the camper is just a dot on the horizon. In a spot where the moonlight shines unbroken by the shadows of nearby plateaus and rocks, Noctis sits down and reaches into his jacket pocket. He pulls out a chunk of the Crystal and sets it down at his feet.

The shard in front of him is small, only the size of his hand, and the edges are fragmented and chipped away. He thinks back to the way the rest of the Crystals crumbled away into nothing, tentatively nudging the stone in front of him to see if it takes the same fate. Nothing happens, but the murkiness of its interior is less than promising. It’s far from ideal, but it’s what he has, and he stares at it for longer than he should, contemplating his choices.

Prompto finds him first, which isn’t really a surprise. He approaches Noctis carefully, hands jammed in his pockets, which is weirdly uncharacteristic of his normally loose and wiggly demeanor. His pose folds in even more when he sees the crystal that lies at Noctis’ boots.

"You took some?" 

"What I could find that didn’t implode," Noctis says, tearing his gaze away from the rock to look up at Prompto. 

"You gonna talk to Luna?" Prompto asks, kicking nervously at the ground with a foot.

Noctis doesn't answer him. 

He appreciates the concern; coming from Prompto, he knows it’s genuine. He can feel the worry, palpable on their Bond— Prompto does nothing to hide it against Noctis. He rarely does. But there is comfort he seeks beyond that of his three Packmates, nestled against stars that are otherwise out of reach. 

Prompto lets out a low, nearly-frustrated breath before shrugging, helpless. "Okay… Well… Just be careful, dude. That stuff in the cave was super gross."

“Yeah,” Noct says, and it’s a short enough answer that Prompto leaves. It’s not without a moment of hesitation, turning back to where Noctis is shifting onto four paws, but ultimately he gives the wolf his privacy. Noctis watches as he turns back towards camp, his normally bouncy gait weighted down with worry.

Noctis sighs, feeling the slightest amount of guilt settle heavy in his stomach. He circles the Crystal shard for a moment, working it out of his guts with the walking, before finally lying beside it and curling around it. Gently, he nudges it onto a better position, then closes his eyes and takes on the very easy task of falling asleep.  
  


 

When he opens his eyes again, the world is different. The dusty rocks and rolling desert hills of Leide have sprouted into gentle grasses that sway in a breeze drifting from somewhere unknown. Peppered across the field that rolls to a horizon in every direction are soft blue flowers, dancing with the wind. They flash, almost silver in their shine, against the light that drips across the field, full and warm, from the orb of a moon in the sky. It’s always full here, Noctis notes, and he lets his gaze drop from where it hangs to settle on a woman, knelt amongst the flowers in a puddle of cloth. Her blonde hair reflects the moonlight, shining bright. 

Noctis all but runs to her, stopping just short of crashing into her, all the breath leaving his body when she looks up at him and smiles gently. Her blue eyes are stars themselves.

"Luna…"

"How are you, Noctis?" she asks, adjusting herself to welcome him.

Noctis works his jaw and feels his tongue resting against teeth that are too big and sharp. His head feels heavy hanging on his neck. The collar around his neck feels even heavier. 

"Tired," he offers finally. 

"I understand," Luna says. She holds a hand forward and he carefully presses his head into it, her palm flat and small against the broad width of his form. Her fingers thread through the fur of his scruff, wrapping into the dense texture and pulling him into the touch. 

A moment later, he gives in, pressing his head forward, past her gentle touches and into the warmth and comfort of her collarbone. It cradles him, makes his eyelids heavy, and he fights the urge to curl up and sleep through the next twelve moons. 

He draws a breath. Luna smells of stardust: a statement that he will never understand or be able to verify, but one he knows deep down in his soul. It smells like home and a foreign land all at once, traveling on the wind from where he once came, where he belongs, and where he will go again one day. 

"What's wrong, love?" Luna asks after a while, stroking his fur and smoothing down the crest that runs along his spine. 

"I miss you," he says bluntly, though the words are mumbled into her skin. “I didn’t see you the last moon. Or the one before that.” 

"You've a little more time now…"

"Not much," Noctis counters. “Why didn’t you come to visit?”

"Sometimes we must rest. A body requires time to heal,” Luna sighs. There’s a weight behind her words, a heaviness that seems to block out some of the light she radiates. “And we must remain grateful for what we are gifted..."

Noctis offers nothing but a returned sigh. He tucks his head deeper into her hold, enormous body swallowing hers as he wraps himself around her form the same way he did the Crystal as he drifted to sleep. They remain that way for a while, Luna kneeling amongst his tangle of limbs and fur, gently running her hands through his scruff. The moonlight she supplies makes him feel at peace again, regular aches dissolving in the warmth. He could live in it, he thinks. 

"You have to wake up now, Noctis…"

"I don't want to."

"This isn't a large or pure enough piece of the Crystal to hold the Bond… I'm sorry, I wish we had more time." 

"Luna… Please—" 

"Until the Moon is full once more, love." Luna brushes under his jaw, pulling away. The warmth begins to leech, disappearing as she stands, her body moving from his. He fights back a whimper, standing with her. 

"— _ Wait _ —!" 

He lunges forward, snapping with teeth at her moonlight dress, but instead of catching, he feels tar in his mouth and on his tongue, threatening to spill down his throat. Panicked eyes search, but Luna has disappeared, a puddle of black goo in her place, which rises like a polluted, tidal sea. Noctis' eyes roll as it washes over him and creeps further down his throat. 

He wakes again with a gasp, now-human body jarred by the Crystal melting against his fingertips. Horrified by the foreign, repulsive feeling, Noctis skitters back, kicking the Crystal away from him as it crumbles and pools into its own destruction. His body shudders, as though rejecting an illness, and a sheet of sweat beads against his fevered skin.

Head back, he rests against the firm outcropping of a rock, exhausted by the sudden ache that's settled in his bones. He breathes in deep, letting warm, summer air fill his lungs, clearing them of the sticky substance that seems to still be crawling in his throat. His heartbeat thrums in his ears hard enough that his sensitive hearing doesn't pick up the footsteps approaching him.

"Easy there, Noct." Gladio's firm hand lands on his shoulder. He has half a mind to knock it away, but the warmth that comes from him and the overwhelming heaviness that washes over him through their Bond like a security blanket makes him stop. He leans back again. 

"The hell you doin' out here," he rasps, tongue sticking like it's still coated in tar. 

"Moonlight walk." Gladio is silent for a moment. "And saving your tail from bad decisions."

"...Thanks."

"Prompto said you grabbed some of that shit from back in the cave. It's toxic; you had to know that." 

"I needed to see Luna."

"Then wait a month when the moon is full, dumbass." 

Noctis finally opens his eyes, just wide enough to glare at Gladio, who is couched in front of him. His broad form seems to blur into the shadows of the plateaus behind him and Noctis blinks a few times to clear it. 

"Gettup," Gladio says finally, standing and hauling Noctis up with him by the elbow. "You smell like you rolled in something dead. It's an improvement, but Iggy'll pitch a fit if I let you go back to the camper like that, so we're gonna go take a bath."

"Piss off."

Despite it, Noctis looks down at himself, bare chest mottled with sticky webs of the same substance that clings to his fingers. It reeks of rot and he tries not to let himself think about it too hard as he treads after Gladio on bare feet. Small rocks shift under his feet, but his pads are worn and callused, keeping him safe until they reach a small stream.

They wade into the water silently, stopping waist deep, and Noctis begins to scrub the goo off of himself. It sticks like sap and stains his skin like ink, but he rubs until it's gone and the skin around it turns bright red. When he's finally done, he sinks, letting his body disappear into the stream up to his nose. He draws a deep breath before going under entirely, letting the cool water flood his face and slow the heavy heartbeat in his chest. Under water, the noises in his ears are muffled, and he remains below until his lungs kick at his ribs in protest. 

"Better?" Gladio asks as Noctis emerges from below. Noctis doesn't answer, just keeps himself up to his chin in the water, watching the ripples against their movements. Cicadas trill in the background and occasionally Gladio splashes as he rubs water over an arm to clean himself off, but for the most part, the world is still. It's quieter and Noctis feels like he can sort his thoughts again. 

 “What the Hell do we do, Gladio?”

“That’s a question for Iggy,” Gladio says, sinking down into the water to match Noctis’ position. “And if that doesn’t work, keep the wolf at the forefront. It knows the Crystal better than we do.” 

Gladio’s always been that way— a little more instinct, a little more wild. Tracking through the woods on dirty paws, following little more than his nose and the instinct that laces his muscles together. It was never fun as Pups, fighting against someone so in tune with both his bodies, trying to gain respect from a wolf with the wilderness in his blood, but it had made Noctis comfortable in his own skin in ways nothing else had. Years had passed, filled with the two venturing into the woods on four paws to hunt game and bathe in streams, making Noctis feel at home in a way he rarely did among the confines of his father’s Pack and their age-old traditions, always more like a government than a wolf pack. 

“And if I can’t?”

“You’d better,” Gladio says firmly. It’s stabilizing. “You’re our goddamn Alpha, aren’t you?”

“For...  _ us _ , not for… everybody back home. When we  _ get _ back home.” Noctis feels the words on his tongue and they’re sour. The pull back to the Pack and the traditions has always been unspoken but understood. Their departure from home several months ago had been fine, romping through the woods each moon, scouting territory to call his  _ own _ (and there was plenty), but the obligation weighed heavy, especially with the recent news from Ignis. Whatever life his father was sharing with the Crystal they had chosen to guard, he was no longer capable of sharing it alone, and the burden was beginning to seep onto Noctis’ own shoulders. 

“You’ll learn.”

There's a long moment of silence, then Noctis nods. Gladio stands from his spot and shakes off some of the excess water, another gesture that marks the wolf so close to the surface. 

“C’mon,” he murmurs, slapping Noctis on the shoulder as he walks past. “Let’s get back to camp. Prompto’s probably whining Iggy’s ear off; Pup’s basically got separation anxiety.”

 

Back at the camper, sleep comes easily. The lecture from Ignis comes even more easily, who fusses over the ink-stained skin on his chest and insists he wear the Crystal necklace to bed, all while Prompto hovers no more than half a foot away from Noctis at all times. The emotions bouncing on their Bonds would be overwhelming if Noctis wasn’t too tired to fully interpret them. Instead, he lets the exhaustion that pulls at him take over as he hits the bed, welcoming the soft pillow and blankets. He barely registers Prompto slipping into bed next to him before relaxing fully into unconsciousness. 

When he wakes up in the morning, it’s with a dull headache and Prompto’s nose shoved firmly into his neck. He doesn’t really complain, surrounded by the warm, bright smell of his Packmate that drowns out the residual smells of the tar that clung to his chest the night before. He shifts, trying to glance down at his chest and see if the skin is still stained an inky gray. As he does, Prompto stirs. 

“You awake, Noct?”

“Barely,” he answers, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. He opens them again as Prompto pulls away, settling down on his own pillow next to Noctis. “Where’s Iggy?” 

“At the diner, drinking his weight in coffee.”

“Gladio?”

“Morning run.”

“You didn’t go with him?” Noctis asks around a yawn. 

Prompto shakes his head. “Iggy told me last night he’d take the car to Cindy this morning so I figured I might as well sleep in, if he’s going to deny me that, too. He’s _ definitely  _ intentionally cockblocking, dude.” 

“He’s probably just saving you from the embarrassment. You know it’s a lost cause, right?” Noctis says, watching Prompto flop a hand dramatically over his face. “There’s  _ no _ way.”

“ _ You don’t know that _ ,” he whines.

“Prom.” Noctis laughs. “ _ C’mon _ .”

Prompto sighs, peeking out between splayed fingers to look at Noctis for what seems like a moment too long. His blue eyes soften and he smiles, letting a strange sort of melancholy flash across their Bond. It tickles at Noctis’ ribs and is gone in a flash, leaving Noctis tempted to reach after the feeling again.  

“I know,” Prompto says. He pulls his hand off his face and sits up against the headboard. “It’s not a serious thing, I just… think she’s really cool. It’s nice to see someone into machinery and so capable and independent. Kinda lowkey jealous of it, y’know?”

“You’re independent.”

“You kidding?” Prompto laughs out loud. “Dude, I’m a wreck without you— I mean— uh— you guys. No way.”  

“You’re right,” Noctis grins, reaching to nudge Prompto, whose entire presence seems to flicker brightly after the touch. “Someone’s gotta keep you from chasing your own tail.” 

He’s answered with a pillow across his face, smothering him back against the bed. He laughs under the fabric, grabbing at it to tug it out of Prompto’s grip and return the favor, sending the other tumbling off the bed. Prompto’s dramatic yelp is enough to wake him up the rest of the way, ready to continue his assault, but the door to the camper opens and interrupts. 

Ignis stands in the doorway with his phone in his hand. Even Prompto has gone quiet from his spot on the floor. 

There’s a ringing in Noctis’ ears.

“Noct…” Ignis says. His tone is heavy. Heavy enough that it immediately crushes Noctis’ chest beneath the weight. It is nothing to the grief that chokes their Bond. “I need to speak with you.”

 


End file.
